Kuchma, who served as president from 1994 to 2004, said in a statement released on Saturday that he had no choice but to refuse the honor, which was awarded to him in 1997. The move was a direct response to Nawrocki’s decision the previous day to strip Zelenskyy of the order.
The former president stressed the value of Polish-Ukrainian friendship and referred to the joint reconciliation declaration of 2003, which he worked out with then-Polish President Aleksander Kwaśniewski. “Ukraine did not take up the fight against Russia, which justified its invasion with historical claims, so that other countries could dictate our history and decide whom we should honor,” Kuchma said.
Nawrocki revoked Zelenskyy’s order on June 19 after a Ukrainian unit was named after the controversial Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). Several top Ukrainian officials, including Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, subsequently announced they would return their Polish awards. Zelenskyy himself said he had sent the order back to Nawrocki by mail.
Source: www.pravda.com.ua
