WARSAW — Polish President Karol Nawrocki revoked the Order of the White Eagle from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on June 3, 2026. Nawrocki cited Zelenskyy's decree naming a Ukrainian Armed Forces unit 'Heroes of the UPA' as the reason for the revocation.

"In light of President Volodymyr Zelensky's consent to name one of the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine "Heroes of the UPA," I have decided to revoke the Order of the White Eagle from the President of Ukraine." Nawrocki said. Zelenskyy had issued a decree on May 26, 2026 assigning the 'Heroes of the UPA' designation to a unit within Ukraine's Special Operations Forces.

Nawrocki also stated that Poland's military support for Ukraine would not decrease following the honor revocation. "For the majority of Polish society, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army remains above all a formation responsible for cruel crimes against the citizens of the Polish Republic during World War II." Nawrocki said.

The Order of the White Eagle was awarded to Zelenskyy in 2023 by then-Polish President Andrzej Duda. The award recognized Zelenskyy's contributions to security, resilience, and the defense of human rights. The UPA was a paramilitary organization that operated during the 1940s and 1950s, fighting for Ukrainian independence against Nazi German and Soviet forces.

Poland accuses the UPA of committing mass killings against Polish citizens during World War II. The Polish parliament classified crimes committed by the UPA as genocide in 2016. Poland asserts that Ukrainian nationalists killed approximately 100,000 Poles during the Volhynia massacres between 1943 and 1945.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated on June 3 that escalating diplomatic tensions serves neither nation. Sybiha urged leaving historical disputes to professional historians. "The decision to strip the president of Ukraine of the Order of the White Eagle is a strategic error by the president of Poland that only benefits Moscow." Sybiha said.

Zelenskyy's decree stated the unit designation aims to restore historical military traditions and recognize the unit's defense of Ukraine's territorial integrity. Thousands of Ukrainians died in reprisal killings during the Volhynia massacres period. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk criticized Zelenskyy's decree naming the military unit. Tusk warned that diplomatic conflict between Poland and Ukraine over historical issues could benefit Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Poland will host a conference on Ukraine's post-war reconstruction in Gdansk in late June 2026, which Zelenskyy is expected to attend. Poland and Ukraine recently achieved progress regarding the exhumation of Polish victims from World War II.