Zelensky Returns Honor to Poland, Shows Receipt

UPDATE Jun 20, 2026 11:50 AM CDT

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has returned Poland's highest state honor, after the Polish president stripped him of the award during a dispute over a World War II military unit accused of massacring Poles. His country thought the honor "was meant for the Ukrainian People and our army," Zelensky wrote Saturday in a post on X that included a postal receipt for the mailing, the AP reports. He added a defense of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, writing, "I believe the future will confirm the respect Ukrainians deserve." Zelensky reiterated appreciation for Poland's support in Ukraine's battle against the Russian invasion. He said his nation will be receptive to trying to resolve differences with Poland over their histories. "I am proud of our people and of EVERY Ukrainian warrior," he wrote.

Jun 19, 2026 4:25 PM CDT

Poland is withdrawing the nation's highest state honor, bestowed upon Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in 2023, over a World War II-era fault line. President Karol Nawrocki announced he will revoke the Order of the White Eagle after Zelensky approved naming a military unit "Heroes of the UPA," referencing the Ukrainian Insurgent Army—nationalists blamed by Poland for the wartime killing of about 100,000 Poles. Nawrocki stressed the move was "not directed against the Ukrainian people" and doesn't affect Poland's support for Ukraine's fight against Russia's invasion. The announcement was made days before a Ukraine reconstruction conference in Gdansk, Reuters reports.

The decision is a "strategic error," the Ukrainian government said. "No president of another country is going to dictate our history to us," wrote Ukraine's foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha. In a 13-minute address on social media, per the AP, Nawrocki said, "For the majority of Polish society, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army remains above all a formation responsible for cruel crimes against the citizens of the Polish Republic during World War II." Zelensky's decree in May said the designation was meant to restore the historical traditions of the national military and to recognize the unit's performance in defending Ukraine's territorial integrity and independence. Polish icon Lech Walesa said he'll stop wearing a badge with Ukraine's flag but will continue to support Ukraine against Russia—just not Zelensky.