Poroshenko refuses Order of the White Eagle after Zelenskyy stripped of award
Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, following Leonid Kuchma and Viktor Yushchenko, has refused the Polish Order of the White Eagle in protest against Polish President Karol Nawrocki's decision to revoke the award from Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has announced his refusal of the Polish Order of the White Eagle in response to Polish President Karol Nawrocki's decision to strip the award from incumbent President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Poroshenko confirmed the move on Facebook, stating that both in Zelenskyy's case and his own, the award was not intended for heads of state but for Ukrainians and their warriors defending Ukraine, Poland, and all of Europe.
Poroshenko recalled that two weeks ago he had promised colleagues on the coordinating council to take this step if they failed to convince Nawrocki not to make a mistaken decision. He emphasized that the refusal is a gesture directed at the Polish president, not at the Polish people. Those in Poland who study history know that if Ukraine loses independence, Poland loses it too, he added.
The former president warned that Russia, through its agents of influence, useful idiots, and old historical wounds, is trying to destroy Ukrainian logistics in the west. Any crisis between Kyiv and Warsaw, he said, is not just a diplomatic problem but a security issue that must be resolved immediately. Poroshenko proposed starting Monday to find solutions that would transform the crisis into a new stage of honest, friendly, and strategic Ukrainian-Polish partnership.
Earlier on Saturday, former presidents Leonid Kuchma and Viktor Yushchenko also refused the Order of the White Eagle. The background: On June 19, Polish President Nawrocki decided to strip Zelenskyy of the order due to the naming of a Ukrainian unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) and stated that Poland would not allow EU accession for those who fail to renounce the "cult of totalitarianism and violence." Following this, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bodnar, and Head of the Presidential Office Kyrylo Budanov announced they would return their Polish awards. On June 20, Zelenskyy said he had sent the order by mail to Nawrocki.
