Poland's president moves to strip Zelenskyy of top national honour

Polish presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki has announced plans to revoke Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Order of the White Eagle over a historical dispute. The move signals a notable cooling in Polish-Ukrainian relations at a sensitive moment in the ongoing conflict. The Order of the White Eagle is Poland's highest state decoration.

A significant diplomatic rift between Poland and Ukraine has emerged after Polish presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki announced his intention to strip Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Poland's most prestigious state honour — the Order of the White Eagle.

Nawrocki, who is backed by the ruling Law and Justice party and is competing in Poland's upcoming presidential election, said the decoration should be revoked following what he described as a historical slight by Zelenskyy. The specific grievance relates to ongoing tensions between Poland and Ukraine over differing commemorations of wartime history, a sensitive issue that has repeatedly strained bilateral ties.

The Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest state decoration, was awarded to Zelenskyy as a symbol of Polish solidarity with Ukraine following Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Revoking such an honour would be an extraordinary and deeply symbolic act between two countries that have otherwise maintained close cooperation in the face of Russian aggression.

The move comes at a delicate time for European unity on Ukraine. Poland has been one of Kyiv's most vocal supporters, serving as a critical transit hub for weapons and humanitarian aid. Any public rupture between Warsaw and Kyiv risks sending mixed signals to both Ukraine's allies and adversaries at a moment when Western cohesion remains essential.

The dispute underscores how unresolved historical grievances — particularly surrounding the Volhynia massacres of the 1940s — continue to cast a long shadow over Polish-Ukrainian relations, even as both countries face a shared strategic threat from Russia.