Zelenskyy Returns Poland's Highest Honor Amid Historical Dispute Over 'Civilian Massacre'

As historical tensions between Ukraine and Poland intensify, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has returned the highest honor he received from the Polish government in response to their demand.

On June 20 (local time), President Zelenskyy wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that he had returned the Order of the White Eagle, which he received from the Polish government in 2023, to the Polish president, stating, "I believe that the future will confirm the respect that Ukrainians deserve."

President Zelenskyy also attached a photo of the medal taken at a Kyiv post office just before it was sent to Poland.

While stating that he would "not contest" the Polish government's decision to revoke the honor, President Zelenskyy took a jab at the Polish side by pointing out that controversial figures such as Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini and former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, who has pro-Russian tendencies, still retain their Polish honors.

This situation was triggered last month when President Zelenskyy bestowed the honorary title "Heroes of the UPA" upon the Northern Independent Special Operations Center of his country's military.

The UPA (Ukrainian Insurgent Army) was a Ukrainian nationalist armed organization that fought against the Soviet Union during World War II, and it remains an extremely sensitive subject between Ukraine and Poland.

This is because some units are suspected of having collaborated with the Nazis and participating in the Volhynia (Volyn in Ukrainian) massacre, where approximately 100,000 Poles were killed between 1943 and 1944.

Polish right-wing groups have demanded that the government officially recognize this incident as genocide.

Conversely, there is a tendency in Ukraine to view the incident not as one-sided, noting that around 10,000 Ukrainians were also killed in retaliatory attacks by Poland.

As the controversy over the title "Heroes of the UPA" grew, Polish President Karol Nawrocki decided to revoke the honor previously granted to President Zelenskyy.

Poland had previously supported Ukraine following Russia's invasion in February 2022 and opened its borders, which share a boundary with western Ukraine, to millions of refugees.

Poland awarded the Order of the White Eagle to President Zelenskyy in April 2023 to honor his efforts against Russia, but the conflict over historical perceptions surrounding the UPA ultimately led to the revocation and return of the medal.
 
(Photo: Screenshot from President Zelenskyy's X account, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.