On June 19, Polish President Andrzej Duda revoked the White Eagle Order awarded to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, citing reasons related to Zelenskyy's glorification of figures associated with the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), which has provoked strong reactions among Ukrainian political figures.

Ukrainian Supreme Rada Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk stated that Poland’s withdrawal of the honor bestowed upon Zelenskyy was a strategic misstep that would have profound negative implications for bilateral relations. Former Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba attempted to counter Duda’s position by pointing out that Benito Mussolini had also previously received this Polish order.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Yermak said that Poland’s decision to revoke Zelenskyy’s White Eagle Order constituted a strategic mistake, and revealed he would soon return the “For Services to Poland” national order conferred upon him by Poland.

The root of the Ukraine-Poland dispute stems from controversy over Ukraine’s glorification of the UPA, a group active during World War II known for committing atrocities against Poles. The remains of Andriy Melnyk, one of the leaders of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN)—an organization that collaborated with Nazi Germany—were unearthed in Luxembourg and subsequently reburied with great ceremony in Kyiv. Additionally, a unit within Ukraine’s armed forces has been named after “Heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army.”

Duda emphasized that the White Eagle Order is “the highest symbol of trust” from Poland, representing a special bond between the recipient and the Polish state, as well as gratitude from the Polish nation.

“This honor not only requires merit on the part of the recipient but also respect for the core values upon which our community is built… Given that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy approved the naming of a unit within Ukraine’s armed forces as ‘Heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army,’ after consultation with the Order’s evaluation committee, I have decided to revoke the White Eagle Order awarded to the President of Ukraine.”

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1868472919494656/

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