Zelenskyy Reinstates Poland's Top Honor Amid Historical Tensions
WHO:
CNN - Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged the two leaders to "tone down emotions, not stoke tensions."
PBS - Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk described the row as something that "delights Putin and shocks our allies."
CBS News - Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged the two leaders to "tone down emotions, not stoke tensions."
CNN - Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky
CNN - Polish President Karol Nawrocki
CNN - Former Polish President Andrzej Duda
CNN - Ukrainian Presidential Office chief Kyrylo Budanov
CNN - Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Ukraine’s former prime minister
PBS - Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk
WHAT:
CNN - Four Ukrainian officials, including Budanov, announced they would return state honors issued by Poland.
PBS - Some in Ukraine criticized the decision to return the Polish honors, with Arseniy Yatsenyuk stating that one "harmful and incorrect decision by the current president of Poland cannot be corrected by other incorrect decisions of ours."
CBS News - Zelenskyy stated, "I believe the future will confirm the respect Ukrainians deserve" in his social media post regarding the return of the Order.
CNN - Zelensky returned Poland’s highest state honor, the Order of the White Eagle.
CNN - Nawrocki stripped Zelensky of the Order due to a dispute over a military unit's naming.
CNN - Zelensky issued a decree naming a unit of Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).
CNN - Four Ukrainian officials, including Budanov, announced they would return state honors issued by Poland.
PBS - Poland is scheduled to host a major event on Ukraine’s postwar reconstruction next week.
WHERE:
CNN - Poland is scheduled to host a major event on Ukraine’s postwar reconstruction next week, which Zelensky was expected to attend.
CNN - The event is taking place in Poland.
CNN - The Polish Parliament recognized the crimes committed by UPA as genocide in 2016.
CNN - A December meeting between the two presidents occurred in Warsaw.
WHEN:
CNN - The Order of the White Eagle was bestowed on Zelensky in 2023.
CNN - Zelensky issued the decree on May 26.
WHY:
CNN - Nawrocki is a nationalist politician who has exploited anti-Ukrainian sentiment for electoral gain.
CBS News - Nawrocki described the UPA as "above all a formation responsible for cruel crimes against the citizens of the Polish Republic during World War II" in a 13-minute address.
CNN - The revocation of the honor was due to Zelensky naming a military unit after the UPA, which is accused of massacring Poles during WWII.
CNN - Nawrocki stated that the UPA is viewed by the majority of Polish society as responsible for crimes against Polish citizens during WWII.
CNN - The decision to revoke the honor did not indicate a decrease in Poland’s support for Ukraine against Russia.
HOW:
CNN - Zelensky's May decree stated that the designation was meant to restore military traditions and recognize the unit’s performance in defending Ukraine’s territorial integrity and independence.
CBS News - Zelenskyy’s message included photos of the Polish order and a postal receipt indicating it was about to be mailed to the Polish presidential office.
CNN - Zelensky announced the return of the Order via a social media post, accompanied by photos of the Polish order and a postal receipt.
(UPDATED June 21, 2026 08:23 UTC)
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has called on leaders to "tone down emotions, not stoke tensions," as tensions rise over a recent decision by four Ukrainian officials, including Budanov, to return state honors issued by Poland. Some in Ukraine are criticizing this move, with Arseniy Yatsenyuk arguing that one "harmful and incorrect decision by the current president of Poland cannot be corrected by other incorrect decisions of ours." Meanwhile, Poland is set to host a significant event on Ukraine’s postwar reconstruction next week, which President Zelensky is expected to attend.
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(UPDATED June 21, 2026 01:46 UTC)
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has called on both leaders to "tone down emotions, not stoke tensions" amid rising tensions. In a social media post, Zelenskyy expressed his belief that "the future will confirm the respect Ukrainians deserve," while also sharing photos of the Polish order and a postal receipt showing it was on its way to the Polish presidential office. This comes as Nawrocki described the UPA as "above all a formation responsible for cruel crimes against the citizens of the Polish Republic during World War II" in a recent address.
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(UPDATED June 20, 2026 23:23 UTC)
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky has returned Poland's highest state honor, the Order of the White Eagle, after Polish President Karol Nawrocki stripped him of the award due to a dispute over the naming of a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, which is viewed by many in Poland as responsible for wartime atrocities. In response, four Ukrainian officials, including Kyrylo Budanov, announced they would also return their state honors issued by Poland. Meanwhile, Poland is set to host a significant event next week focused on Ukraine's postwar reconstruction.