2 hours ago 
NurPhoto via Getty Images
Zelensky was presented with the Order of the White Eagle by then-President Andrzej Duda successful 2023
Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky has been stripped of Poland's highest authorities honour, the Order of the White Eagle, implicit Kyiv's determination to sanction a subject portion aft arguable World War Two fighters.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki branded Ukraine's determination precocious past period to sanction the portion aft the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) "outrageous", "incomprehensible" and "deeply disappointing".
Nawrocki stressed the diplomatic enactment would not interaction Poland's enactment for Ukraine against Russia.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has denounced the move, calling it a "strategic mistake" and "disrespectful".
Many successful Ukraine respect the UPA, which existed successful the 1940s and 1950s, arsenic heroes who fought for Ukrainian independency against the Soviet Red Army arsenic good arsenic Nazi Germany and Polish authorities. So for Ukrainians the rubric "Heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army" is simply a large honour.
Poland, however, accuses the UPA of carrying retired a genocide of taste Poles successful Volhynia (now Volyn successful Ukraine) successful 1943-45.
"For the overwhelming bulk of Polish society, the UPA remains, supra all, a enactment liable for the brutal crimes committed against citizens of the Republic of Poland during World War II," Nawrocki said successful a video released connected the president's authoritative website.
"That is wherefore the Ukrainian authorities' determination to glorify the UPA is not lone outrageous, it is besides incomprehensible and profoundly disappointing," helium said.
"It hurts not lone our humanities memory. It besides undermines the spot built up implicit the years and successful caller months," helium added.
The Polish president pointed to the hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees welcomed into the state pursuing the motorboat of Russia's full-scale penetration successful 2022.
"Poles opened their borders, their homes, and their hearts to millions of Ukrainians," helium said.
Reuters
Poland's President Karol Nawrocki (left) said the determination to portion Volodymyr Zelensky's Order of the White Eagle would not interaction Warsaw's enactment for Kyiv against Russia
He went connected to say: "Ukraine's way toward European structures besides requires a willingness to honestly face the hard chapters of its ain history.
"A agreed Europe was built connected the rejection of totalitarianism and the cult of violence. These principles indispensable use to everyone. For those who bash not recognize this, determination tin beryllium nary spot successful the European Union, and Poland volition surely not let it."
Ukraine has ambitions to go an EU subordinate authorities and attended the archetypal signifier of rank negotiations this week successful Luxembourg.
For Ukraine, the UPA is simply a awesome of absorption and conflict for independence, adjacent though Warsaw says astir 100,000 taste Poles were killed successful the Volhynia massacres.
The group's reddish and achromatic emblem is often utilized by Ukrainian troops connected the beforehand enactment today. That's wherefore Zelensky said helium would usage the UPA's sanction for a subject unit, "with the purpose of restoring the humanities traditions of the nationalist army".
The Polish Order of the White Eagle was bestowed connected Zelensky successful 2023 by then-President Andrzej Duda.
Zelensky himself has not straight commented connected the row. But Sybiha called it "a strategical mistake by the President of Poland, from which lone Moscow benefits".
He said arsenic a effect of the announcement, helium would beryllium returning an grant helium received from Poland successful 2022.
"No president of different state volition dictate our past to us," helium said.
English (US)·