Karol Nawrocki, head of the Polish Institute of National Remembrance, announced the revocation after Zelenskiy authorized the designation of an Armed Forces unit as the Heroes of the UPA. Nawrocki stated the move is not a shift in Polish security policy but a direct response to historical revisionism. The honor had been awarded in 2023 by former president Andrzej Duda to recognize Zelenskiy’s defense of democratic values and human rights.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the move as a strategic error, asserting that no foreign government should dictate Ukraine's internal historical narrative. The dispute highlights deepening friction between Warsaw and Kyiv, exacerbated by ongoing debates over grain imports and war-weariness. While many in Ukraine view the UPA as symbols of resistance against Soviet and Nazi forces, Poland maintains that the organization was responsible for the systematic killing of roughly 100,000 Poles during the Volhynia massacres of 1943–1945. The fallout has reached even high-profile figures like Lech Walesa, who signaled a cooling of personal support for the Ukrainian leader.
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