Zelensky sent the award via Ukraine’s Nova Post, which also operates branches in Poland. In a message published on social media, he emphasized that Ukraine remains open to talks with Poland to avoid “misinterpretations of the complex and painful pages of the history of our peoples.”
Nawrocki revoked the order from Zelensky on June 19 after the latter named a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). The UPA, a nationalist organization from World War II, is held responsible in Poland for the massacre of Polish civilians in Volhynia. Zelensky had been awarded the order in 2023 by Andrzej Duda.
In his statement, Zelensky noted that the order had also been awarded to historical figures such as Catherine II, Benito Mussolini, and Gerhard Schröder without being revoked. Several Ukrainian officials, including Kyrylo Budanov, renounced their own Polish orders in protest. The dispute overshadows the Ukraine recovery conference planned for next week in Gdańsk, which Zelensky is set to attend.
Source: kyivindependent.com
