‘Ideology responsible for genocide’: Poland strips Zelenskiy of top honor over military naming

Polish President Karol Naroki sparks controversy over naming of army unit, stripping Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of top honor

Polish President Karol Nauroki has stripped Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of Poland’s highest honor, the Order of the White Eagle, over Kiev’s decision to name a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), the nationalist massacres of Poles during World War II.“I have decided to revoke the Order of the White Eagle from the president of Ukraine,” Naroki declared in a statement.“We cannot silently betray the sacrifices of our ancestors. These are graves that should not be forgotten. These are the wounds of history that demand truth, remembrance and respect.”Norocki said the decision was made in consultation with the Knights of the White Eagle. “Whereas President Volodymyr Zelensky agreed to name a unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine “Heroes of UPA”… I have decided to revoke the Order of the White Eagle. “He emphasized that “this decision is not directed at the Ukrainian people” and “does not mean a change in the strategic direction of Poland’s security policy.”

Why UPA is controversial

“For the vast majority of Polish society, the UPA remains first and foremost an organization responsible for the brutal crimes committed against citizens of the Republic of Poland during World War II,” Narocki said. “The facts are non-negotiable; they do not change with political circumstances or necessity. The fact is that at least 100,000 Polish citizens were murdered by the UPA.”“They were not soldiers on the battlefield. They were unarmed civilians. They were brutally killed,” he added.Poland has officially recognized the massacre as genocide. Ukraine rejects the label and believes the massacre occurred against the backdrop of a long history of anti-Ukrainian policies by the Polish state before the war.Narocki cited recent progress in Polish-Ukrainian relations, including the return of St. Nicholas Church in Kiev and allowing the exhumation of Polish victims at multiple sites. “All these actions give rise to the belief that Poland and Ukraine are gradually finding a path to lasting reconciliation,” he said. “That is why the decision of the Ukrainian authorities to glorify the UPA is not only outrageous. This is also incomprehensible and deeply disappointing. “

Ukraine strikes back, Tusk urges calm

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiha called the decision “a strategic mistake from which only Moscow benefits.”Zelenskiy’s chief of staff Andrei Yermak said on Saturday he would give up the Polish state medal he had received in solidarity with the president.Narocki said the UPA issue was particularly sensitive because “the Polish military has trained thousands of Ukrainian soldiers. Today, we cannot remain indifferent to the fact that some of them will now serve under the banner of UP. This is unacceptable to us. “Noroki’s political rival, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, wrote on social media: “The conflict between Poland and Ukraine delights Putin and alarms our allies. The task of Presidents Zelensky and Noroki is to calm emotions, not inflame tensions. The front lines are elsewhere.”Navroki spoke about the EU’s aspirations: “Ukraine’s path towards European structures also requires a willingness to face honestly the difficult chapters of its own history. A united Europe is based on the rejection of totalitarianism and the cult of violence. These principles must apply to everyone. There can be no place in the EU for those who do not understand this, and Poland will certainly not allow this.”“In 2023, former President Andrzej Duda awarded Zelensky the Order of the White Eagle. “The Order of the White Eagle is not just an ordinary award. It is a symbol of the highest trust in the Republic of Poland. It marks a special bond with the Polish state and the deep gratitude of the nation,” Noroki said.The decision comes days before Zelenskiy travels to Poland to attend the Gdansk Conference on the Renewal of Ukraine.