Nawrocki Sets Condition for Zelensky to Keep Polish Honor

Polish President Karol Nawrocki could decide within days whether to strip Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of the Order of the White Eagle, according to UNN, citing the Polish daily Rzeczpospolita.

The award, Poland’s highest state honor, was presented to Zelensky in 2023 by Nawrocki’s predecessor, Andrzej Duda.

Sources in the presidential palace described the delay as deliberate and intended to create a “window of opportunity” for the Ukrainian side. By giving Kyiv time to respond, Nawrocki also wants to demonstrate that he does not act emotionally in international affairs.

The sources stressed that the time available to Ukraine was limited and that a decision was more likely to come within days than weeks.

Only one step could persuade Nawrocki not to revoke the honor, Rzeczpospolita reported: changing the name of a Ukrainian Special Operations Forces unit named after the “Heroes of the UPA”.

In Poland, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) is associated with crimes against the Polish population during World War II, including the Volhynia massacres.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk criticized the decision to name the unit after the UPA, saying it touched on historical sensitivities and could damage Polish-Ukrainian relations.

Nawrocki subsequently said he viewed Zelensky’s decision critically and believed that the Ukrainian president should be stripped of the Order of the White Eagle.

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