"The War of the Orders": how the dispute over the UPA blew up relations between Kyiv and Warsaw

Tensions between Kyiv and Warsaw escalated sharply after Polish President Karol Nawrocki decided to revoke the highest state honor of Poland – the "White Eagle" order – from Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In response, Zelenskyy, as well as former Ukrainian presidents Leonid Kuchma, Viktor Yushchenko, and Petro Poroshenko, announced that they were returning their Polish decorations. This led to an unprecedented diplomatic scandal that analysts are already calling a "war of the orders".

The case highlighted the deep, still unhealed historical wounds between the two neighboring countries – Ukraine and Poland, which today are key allies in opposing Russian aggression. At the center of the dispute was the assessment of the role of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).

The escalation began after Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree assigning the honorary title "Heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA)" to the separate Center for Special Operations "North" of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. For modern Ukraine, the UPA is perceived as a symbol of the uncompromising fight for national independence and resistance against the Soviet regime.

For Poland, however, the UPA remains linked to one of the most tragic pages in its history – the Volhynian Massacre of 1943–1945, when UPA formations carried out mass murders of tens of thousands of Polish civilians. "For the vast majority of Polish society, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army remains, above all, a formation responsible for brutal crimes," argued President Nawrocki in his decision to revoke the order from Zelenskyy, which had been awarded to him in 2023 as a sign of solidarity in the early years of the war.

The reaction in Warsaw was lightning fast. The Ukrainian ambassador was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and a number of right-wing parties insisted that Poland take a firm course – including restricting military aid to Kyiv and blocking negotiations for Ukraine's membership in the European Union. Thus, the dispute over historical memory quickly grew into a political and diplomatic front.

In Kyiv, the case united the current and three former Ukrainian presidents. Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that he had already returned the "White Eagle" order to his Polish colleague, accompanying this act with a sharp comment: "If it is considered that this special symbol can remain with Catherine the Great, Benito Mussolini, and Gerhard Schröder, then we in Ukraine will not argue about that." He emphasized that the distinction received in 2023 had been perceived by him as a recognition of the entire Ukrainian people and the army that are defending the country's sovereignty.

In a sign of solidarity, former presidents Leonid Kuchma, Viktor Yushchenko, and Petro Poroshenko also announced that they were returning their orders. Kuchma, who was awarded the distinction back in 1997, stated that Ukraine is not opposing Russian aggression to allow other countries to dictate how it interprets its own history and which individuals and events to honor. At the same time, he emphasized that he believes in the need to preserve the strategic partnership between Kyiv and Warsaw.

Viktor Yushchenko's team stated that the return of the order is an expression of disagreement with the decision to revoke Zelenskyy's distinction, emphasizing that the award is a symbol of respect for the Ukrainian people, who are paying a huge price for their freedom. A little later, Petro Poroshenko joined them. He described Nawrocki's actions as unfair to Ukrainians and warned that "every step that weakens the unity between Kyiv and Warsaw works in the interest of the Kremlin".

There was also a reaction from other representatives of the Ukrainian state. The head of military intelligence Kyrylo Budanov, the deputy head of the presidential administration Ihor Zhovkva, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, and the Ukrainian ambassador to Warsaw Vasyl Bodnar also announced that they were renouncing the Polish state decorations they had received over the years.

The Polish authorities, for their part, tried to cool the passions. Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski stated that the only winner of such a "war of history and orders" could be Moscow and called for restraint. Prime Minister Donald Tusk also warned that an open conflict between Poland and Ukraine is in the interest of Russian President Vladimir Putin and that both sides should not allow historical disputes to undermine their common front against Russian aggression.

The scandal over the "White Eagle" order showed how sensitive the topic of historical memory remains in Central and Eastern Europe. Although Kyiv and Warsaw are key partners in the spheres of security, economy, and European integration, unresolved disputes over the past can become a serious test for their alliance – especially in moments of external pressure and active Russian propaganda.