Medals saga deepens Poland-Ukraine tensions over historical memory

A diplomatic row between Poland and Ukraine has escalated dramatically into a full-blown “medals saga,” with Polish President Karol Nawrocki stripping Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Poland’s highest state honour and prompting a wave of Ukrainian officials and former presidents to return their own Polish decorations in protest.

The crisis erupted after Nawrocki, on Friday, announced the revocation of the Order of the White Eagle awarded to Zelenskyy in 2023. The move was triggered by Ukraine’s decision to grant the honorary name “Heroes of the UPA” to a special operations unit of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Poland views the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) as responsible for the mass killing of tens of thousands of Polish civilians in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia during World War II – events Warsaw officially considers as genocide.

Symbolic escalation and Ukrainian response

Zelenskyy responded swiftly and symbolically. On Saturday, he announced that he had mailed the Order of the White Eagle back to President Nawrocki via Nova Poshta, Ukraine’s leading postal service. In his statement, Zelenskyy thanked the Polish people for their support while underscoring that symbols matter: he questioned why the award had previously remained with figures such as Catherine II, Benito Mussolini, and Gerhard Schröder, but was now being revoked from Ukraine’s wartime leader.

The Ukrainian reaction quickly broadened. All living former Ukrainian presidents who had received the Order of the White Eagle – Leonid Kuchma (awarded 1997), Viktor Yushchenko, and Petro Poroshenko – publicly renounced the honour in solidarity. Senior officials followed suit: Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bodnar, and Head of the Presidential Office Kyrylo Budanov all announced they would return their Polish state awards.

Political calculations in Warsaw

Polish domestic politics appear to be a major driver. President Nawrocki, who often aligns with the ultra-right flank, enjoys strong support for the decision – a United Surveys poll for Wirtualna Polska showed 51.2% of Poles in favour and only 35.5% opposed, with near-unanimous backing (87%) from voters of far-right parties like Confederation. The move is widely seen as part of positioning ahead of Poland’s 2027 parliamentary elections.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk, whose government must formally countersign the revocation, finds himself in a difficult position. Tusk described the broader politicisation of the dispute as a “strategic mistake” that harms both countries economically, geopolitically, and reputationally. He said he is working with European partners to de-escalate tensions.

Risk to bilateral cooperation

The timing is particularly sensitive. A major Ukraine Recovery Conference is scheduled for 25-26 Fune in Gdańsk – a city associated with both Nawrocki and Tusk. Ukrainian participation is now in question, and any absence or low-level representation could undermine months of Polish governmental preparation and hand a political victory to the Polish right.

Analysts note that while the medals row has united much of Ukrainian society against perceived Polish pressure on historical issues, it risks playing into Russia’s hands by weakening two key allies confronting Moscow’s aggression. Ukraine has pledged to “mirror” any unfriendly steps, while still expressing gratitude to ordinary Poles for their longstanding support.

As the the recovery conference approaches, both sides face a delicate balancing act: managing domestic political pressures without irreparably damaging a critical wartime partnership.

Based on a series of articles by European Pravda.

Caption: Polish President Karol Nawrocki (C) during the military exercise ‘Brave Boar 26’ at the training ground in Orzysz in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland, 17 June 2026. Soldiers from the 16th Mechanized Division are taking part in the exercises and are training on new equipment, including Borsuk combat vehicles, K2 tanks and K9 howitzers. EPA/TOMASZ WASZCZUK