Ukrainian officials return Polish honors after Zelenskyy stripped of award

On Saturday, March 15, 2025, several high-ranking Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, announced they were returning Polish state honors. This followed Polish President Karol Nawrocki's decision to strip Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest state award, which had been conferred by former President Andrzej Duda in 2023.

Zelenskyy stated on social media that he was returning the medal, which he described as a symbol of friendship between Poland and Ukraine. He emphasized that Ukraine remains open to meaningful dialogue with Poland to avoid misunderstandings of the past and ensure respect for all innocent victims of the 20th century. He suggested the award no longer held its original significance.

Zelenskyy's chief of staff, Kyrylo Budanov, announced he was returning the Gold Officer's Cross of the Polish Order of Merit, calling the Polish decision "a gift to the Moscow aggressor." Ukraine's ambassador to Poland, Vasyl Bodnar, relinquished his Knight's Cross of the Polish Order of Merit, while Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said he would return a Polish award he received in 2022, describing the move as "a strategic mistake that benefits only Moscow."

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a political rival of Nawrocki, urged both nations to maintain solidarity, warning that a dispute between Poland and Ukraine "delights Putin and shocks our allies."

Meanwhile, a Russian airstrike on Kharkiv on Saturday killed at least one person and injured nine. Russia's Defense Ministry claimed its air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 187 Ukrainian drones overnight. In recent weeks, Moscow and Kyiv have intensified attacks as US-led efforts to end the war remain stalled.