Poland is considering revoking the Order of the White Eagle from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy after he named a Ukrainian combat unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), a group associated with the massacre of Poles during World War Two. The situation has sparked outrage in Warsaw, with President Karol Nawrocki leading the calls for Zelenskiy’s honor strip.
Zelenskiy recognized the contribution of the UPA, which fought for Ukrainian independence while at times aligning with Nazi Germany. Ukraine argues that the name choice was not meant to be anti-Polish but was a tribute to those fighting against Russia. However, Poland points to the UPA’s role in the Volhynia massacres, where around 100,000 ethnic Poles were killed from 1943 to 1945, viewing it as genocide aimed at undermining Polish sovereignty. Kyiv disagrees with this characterization, noting the complex nature of the conflict and that thousands of Ukrainians also suffered.
Historically, there have been tensions regarding past events, even as Poland has supported Ukraine against Russian aggression. Poland forcibly relocated around 140,000 ethnic Ukrainians post-war to limit UPA support. Polish authorities have sought to exhume remains from massacre sites, with some progress made recently.
Nawrocki, a conservative nationalist, has accused Ukraine of delaying exhumations and called for the acknowledgment of the Volhynia massacre as genocide, reflecting a shift in Poland’s approach to its historical narrative and relations with Ukraine.
With information from Reuters
