- June 20, 2026
- 11:51 pm
- Ukraine
The decision by Polish President Karol Nawrocki to strip Volodymyr Zelensky of the Order of the White Eagle became not just a Polish-Ukrainian diplomatic episode. It quickly turned into a political test: who in Ukraine perceives this award as a personal medal, and who sees it as a symbol of respect for the Ukrainian people, the Ukrainian army, and resistance to Russian aggression.
On June 20, 2026, Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he had sent the Order of the White Eagle back to Poland. The President of Ukraine published a photo of the award and documents for international dispatch to the office of Polish President Karol Nawrocki. In his response, Zelensky emphasized that in Ukraine, this award was considered addressed not only to him personally but to the Ukrainian people and army.
This wording is important. If the award was a sign of respect for Ukraine, then its withdrawal is perceived not as a dispute with one politician. It becomes a signal to all Ukrainians who have been holding the eastern front of Europe for the third year in a row, paying for it with lives, cities, families, and futures.
Why Zelensky’s response was so harsh
In his address, Zelensky reminded that the Order of the White Eagle remained with people around whom Poland and Europe have extremely difficult historical memories in different historical periods. In particular, he mentioned Catherine II, Benito Mussolini, and Gerhard Schröder. The meaning of this phrase was simple: if the symbol can remain with such figures, Ukraine will not argue for it as a personal privilege.
At the same time, Zelensky did not burn bridges with the Polish people. He separately expressed gratitude to the Poles for supporting Ukraine and emphasized that cooperation between the countries of the region remains one of the guarantees of security. This is an important balance: the response was harsh towards Nawrocki’s decision, but not against Poland as a country and not against Polish society.
For Israel, there is a clear context in this story. When there is a war in the region, symbols cease to be ceremonial details. They become part of security policy. NAnews — Israel News draws attention to this level: the award, diplomatic gesture, historical memory, and the front line in Europe are interconnected here.
Kuchma, Yushchenko, and Poroshenko supported the demarche
On the evening of June 20, it became known that three former Presidents of Ukraine — Leonid Kuchma, Viktor Yushchenko, and Petro Poroshenko — joined the symbolic response. They decided to return their Orders of the White Eagle to Warsaw in protest against the decision on Zelensky. This was reported by representatives of Kuchma and Yushchenko, as well as Poroshenko himself.
Leonid Kuchma stated that he refuses the order he was awarded in 1997. His position had an important historical note: it was Kuchma, together with Polish President Aleksander Kwaśniewski, who worked a lot on Ukrainian-Polish reconciliation, including with the spiritual mediation of Pope John Paul II.
According to his representative, Viktor Yushchenko also perceived Nawrocki’s decision as a blow not only to Zelensky but to Ukrainians who are defending freedom today. In this logic, the Order of the White Eagle was not a personal distinction but a recognition that Ukraine is holding the eastern border of Europe.
Petro Poroshenko called the Polish side’s decision erroneous and unfair. He separately emphasized that any steps that weaken the Ukrainian-Polish connection objectively work in Moscow’s interests. For Ukraine, Poland remains not just a neighbor but a key corridor for military, humanitarian, and political support.
Thus, a rare picture emerged: the current president and three former presidents of Ukraine, despite internal political competition, found themselves on the same side of the symbolic conflict.
Not only presidents refused: Sibiha, Budanov, and Bodnar also returned Polish awards
An important part of this story is the mass reaction of Ukrainian officials and diplomats. Even before the former presidents joined the demarche, representatives of the current Ukrainian government began returning Polish awards.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiha announced that he is returning to Poland the Commander’s Cross with Star of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland, which he received in October 2022. He called the decision on Zelensky a strategic mistake by the Polish president and emphasized that only Moscow benefits from such an escalation.
Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov also refused the Polish award — the Golden Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland. According to him, Nawrocki’s decision was an “unfriendly act” towards Ukraine and a gift for the Moscow aggressor.
Ukrainian Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bodnar returned the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland. At the same time, he separately emphasized that Ukraine appreciates the help of millions of Poles who opened their homes to Ukrainian refugees but considers the decision on Zelensky a painful gesture towards the entire Ukrainian people.
Thus, the scandal ceased to be a dispute between two presidents. It became a broad Ukrainian reaction: the president, foreign minister, head of the president’s office, ambassador in Warsaw, and then former presidents of Ukraine began speaking with one voice — not just through statements, but through the return of awards.
Kravchuk, Yanukovych, and the political irony of this story
Separately in this story, Leonid Kravchuk is remembered — the first president of independent Ukraine. He died on May 10, 2022, and could no longer be a participant in the current demarche. But his figure is important for understanding Ukrainian-Polish relations: it was the generation of the first Ukrainian leaders after the collapse of the USSR that laid the foundations of relations between Kyiv and Warsaw in the new Europe.
At the same time, the issue of awarding Kravchuk the Order of the White Eagle needs to be approached carefully. In the official Polish list of awardees for 1992–2005, among Ukrainian presidents, Leonid Kuchma is listed for 1997 and Viktor Yushchenko for 2005, but Leonid Kravchuk’s name is not visible in this list. In some publications, he is sometimes mentioned among the order’s recipients, but it is better to rely on the official list of the Polish president’s office.
And Viktor Yanukovych in this symbolic story looks particularly indicative. In the official lists, where Kuchma, Yushchenko, Poroshenko, and Zelensky are present, Yanukovych does not appear as a recipient of the Order of the White Eagle. Poroshenko is listed among those awarded by President Bronisław Komorowski in 2014, Zelensky among those awarded under Andrzej Duda.
And here a bitter political irony emerges. Presidents who represented independent Ukraine in dialogue with Europe at different times are now returning Polish awards in protest. And Yanukovych, who can sit quietly in Rostov after fleeing Ukraine, has nothing to return to Warsaw. He simply was not part of this line of European recognition of Ukraine.
Why this scandal benefits Russia
The most dangerous part of the story is not the order itself. The danger is that the dispute between Kyiv and Warsaw is happening during a major war when Ukraine depends on Western support, and Poland remains one of the key directions for logistics, assistance, diplomacy, and the movement of people.
Polish-Ukrainian relations have always been complex. They contain memories of the tragedies of the 20th century, painful disputes about Volhynia, different national narratives, and political forces trying to speak to voters through historical pain. But after February 24, 2022, a new layer was added to this story: Russia is waging war against Ukraine, and every crack between Kyiv and Warsaw becomes a gift for Russian propaganda.
That is why the reaction of Ukrainian politicians went beyond ordinary diplomatic disagreement. Zelensky, Kuchma, Yushchenko, and Poroshenko essentially said one thing: if Poland’s highest award can no longer be a symbol of respect for Ukrainian resistance, Ukraine will not hold onto this symbol at any cost.
For NAnews — Israel News, this is an important example of how historical memory can influence security here and now. The Israeli audience understands well that the memory of the past cannot be canceled. But it is also clear: when there is a war, the enemy always tries to turn old wounds into weapons against current allies.
What remains after the return of the orders
The Order of the White Eagle is Poland’s highest award. The official page of the President of Poland describes it as the highest order of the Republic of Poland, established in 1705 and restored in 1921. It is awarded for outstanding civil and military merits to the Republic of Poland, as well as to the highest representatives of foreign states.
That is why the current conflict turned out to be so loud. It is not about an ordinary medal, not about a protocol detail, and not about a personal offense. It is about a symbol that was first used to recognize the Ukrainian struggle and then became the subject of political revision.
Ukraine responded not symmetrically, but collectively. Zelensky returned the order. Kuchma, Yushchenko, and Poroshenko supported this gesture. Kravchuk could no longer say his word because he is no longer alive. Yanukovych is completely absent from this story — and this absence speaks about him no less than any political comments.
The main conclusion is simple: the Polish-Ukrainian conflict around the Order of the White Eagle became a test not only for Warsaw and Kyiv but for the entire European system of solidarity. If symbols begin to work against the unity of those who oppose Russian aggression, then something went wrong with these symbols.
Ukraine returned the order. But the question that remains after this gesture is addressed not only to Zelensky and not only to Nawrocki.
The question is now for Europe: what is more important today — political play on historical wounds or the security of the continent, which Ukrainians continue to defend with their lives?
Israeli trace: Shevah Weiss received the Order of the White Eagle
For the Israeli audience, there is a separate important detail in this story. The Order of the White Eagle was awarded to Shevah Weiss — former Speaker of the Knesset, former Israeli Ambassador to Poland, and one of the notable symbols of Polish-Israeli dialogue.
On January 17, 2017, in Jerusalem, Polish President Andrzej Duda presented him with Poland’s highest award, emphasizing Weiss’s contribution to strengthening relations between Poland and Israel. The Polish side separately called this decision a recognition of his role in the Polish-Israeli and Jewish-Polish dialogue.
Therefore, the current scandal around Zelensky’s award is significant not only for Ukraine and Poland. It also concerns a broader topic: how states use historical memory, diplomatic symbols, and highest awards at a time when Europe is once again facing war, aggression, and the struggle for security.
For Israel, this is especially understandable. Symbols of memory can unite nations, but they can also turn into political weapons. That is why the story with the Order of the White Eagle is important not as a protocol conflict, but as a warning: when awards start working against allies, it is not historical truth that wins, but those who want to quarrel countries opposing Russian aggression.