The dispute centers on the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), a group honored by a new military designation in Ukraine but condemned in Poland for the Volhynia massacres. Historical records indicate that between 1943 and 1945, roughly 100,000 Poles were killed by Ukrainian nationalists, a legacy that continues to strain relations between the two strategic allies. While some in Ukraine view the UPA as symbols of anti-Soviet and anti-Nazi resistance, the Polish government remains firm in its stance against commemorating groups tied to these mass killings.
Zelenskiy, posting on X, stated the 2023 award was intended for the Ukrainian people and military, rather than a personal honor. Following his lead, Chief of Staff Kyrylo Budanov renounced his own Golden Officer's Cross, calling the revocation a gift to Russia. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha criticized the move as a strategic error, asserting that foreign leaders should not dictate Ukrainian historical memory. Despite the friction, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has appealed for restraint, while Nawrocki maintained that the revocation does not signal a shift in Poland’s broader security policy or its support for Ukraine during the ongoing conflict with Russia.
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