Poland to strip Zelensky's White Eagle over UPA unit
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- President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a decree late last month naming a Special Operations Forces unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).
- Polish President Karol Nawrocki said he will consider revoking Zelensky’s Order of the White Eagle and has consulted the order’s council.
- Polish lawmakers from the Law and Justice (PiS) party and far‑right Confederation demanded a drastic reassessment of relations with Kyiv and threatened to stop Starlink funding and block EU accession.
- Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged Kyiv to find a solution, warning that without it relations would be driven by 'hard business' rather than empathy.
- Kyiv’s chief of staff Kyrylo Budanov travelled to Warsaw to ease tensions, but his visit did not prevent further discussions about revoking the honor.
- Polish foreign minister indicated Zelensky may skip the upcoming Gdansk post‑war reconstruction conference, reflecting the strain on bilateral ties.
Why it matters: Poland’s move threatens to strip Zelensky’s highest honor, risking a diplomatic rupture that could jeopardize Polish aid to Ukraine, undermine Kyiv’s support in the EU and embolden right‑wing critics of the war. It also endangers the Gdansk post‑war reconstruction summit and may push Poland’s far‑right parties to demand a halt to Starlink funding, further weakening Ukraine’s military communications.
