Zelensky mails revoked Polish medal back to Warsaw

President Volodymyr Zelensky returned his Polish medal to Warsaw on June 20 after Polish President Karol Nawrocki stripped him of the country's highest honorary title during a diplomatic row over the name of a Ukrainian military unit.

Sending the medal back via Nova Post, Ukraine's leading postal service, which operates branches across Poland, Zelensky thanked the Polish people for their support and solidarity during Russia's full-scale invasion.

Writing a message on social media, he stressed that Ukraine would remain open to communication with Poland to prevent "misinterpretations of the complex and painful pages of our peoples' past."

Nawrocki revoked Zelensky's Order of the White Eagle on June 19 following public outcry over Zelensky's decision to name a serving Ukrainian military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) — a World War II-era nationalist organization that is remembered in Poland for the massacre of Polish civilians in the Volyn region.

Zelensky was presented with the award in 2023 by then-President Andrzej Duda.

"(The Order of the White Eagle) signifies a special connection with the Polish state and particular gratitude from the people. Such a symbol requires not only merit but also respect for the values that form the foundation of our community," Zelensky wrote.

"Therefore, if it is considered that this special symbol can remain with Catherine II, Benito Mussolini, and Gerhard Schroeder, then we in Ukraine will not argue with this," he added, referencing historical recipients of the award who have not been stripped of the title.

While Zelensky remained quiet on the dispute for a day after Nawrocki's announcement, Ukrainian officials quickly voiced their anger, with many stressing that hostility between Poland and Ukraine ultimately benefits Moscow.

Several other Ukrainian officials, including Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the Presidential Office, renounced their own awards from the Polish government as an act of protest.

Nawrocki commented on the Ukrainian backlash on June 20, saying the Polish people "know what war is."

"Yes, we know what war is, we know what the fight for independence entails, and we understand the nature of the post-Soviet — now Russian — threat," Nawrocki told Polish broadcaster TVN24.

"However, we are a proud Polish nation, and we have a threshold of tolerance regarding matters that affect us and our allies. That threshold has been crossed, which is why I revoked the Order of the White Eagle awarded to President Zelensky."

The tensions come a week before the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdansk, which Zelensky is due to attend. There were concerns in Kyiv earlier this month that Zelensky would not participate in the conference — Ukraine's largest economic and business event — due to the Polish controversy.