Polish Citizens Award Zelensky Symbolic Honor

A group of Polish citizens has awarded Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Ukrainian people a symbolic honor called the Civic Order of the Future.

The move came in response to Polish President Karol Nawrocki’s decision to strip Zelensky of the Order of the White Eagle, Poland’s highest state honor. The decision followed Zelensky’s move to name a Ukrainian frontline unit after the “Heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army”.

The initiators of the award criticized Poland’s right for using the 1943 Volhynia tragedy for political purposes ahead of parliamentary elections, saying the dispute played into Russian propaganda.

They argued that while Polish politicians were fighting over the past, people were dying in Ukraine in 2026, including for the security of Poland and Europe.

“That is why, as citizens of the Republic of Poland, we are awarding our own medal. This is a grassroots initiative. In this way, we are showing that many Poles will not allow themselves to be pitted against Ukrainians. We have helped and will continue to help. We do not need politicians’ approval to treat other people with dignity”, the authors wrote in a statement.

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