President of the Republic of Poland Karol Nawrocki has decided to strip Volodymyr Zelensky of the Order of the White Eagle. The decision was met with a response from Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, who described it as a “strategic mistake” by the Polish president. He also announced that he would return the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland awarded to him.
Today, President of the Republic of Poland Karol Nawrocki announced that he was revoking the Order of the White Eagle awarded to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“The President of the Republic of Poland is the Grand Master of the Order of the White Eagle and has a duty to safeguard the honour of this highest state decoration. This duty also rests with the Chapter of the Order of the White Eagle. Therefore, in view of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s consent to naming one of the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine after the Heroes of the UPA, and after consulting the Chapter, I have decided to strip the Ukrainian president of the Order of the White Eagle,”
the Polish president said.
The Ukrainian side reacted nervously to the decision.
“The decision to deprive the President of Ukraine of the Order of the White Eagle is a strategic mistake by the President of Poland, from which only Moscow will benefit,”
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on Facebook.
“We regret that emotions have prevailed in Warsaw and prompted Polish politicians to take unjustified, impulsive and dismissive steps not so much against President Zelensky, but above all against the Ukrainian state,”
Sybiha stressed.
The foreign minister stated that, in response, he himself would also return to Warsaw the Commander’s Cross with Star of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.