politics
Poland revokes highest state honour from Ukraine's president over army unit name
Poland's president has withdrawn the Order of the White Eagle from Ukraine's leader after Kyiv named a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army. Ukrainian officials called the decision a strategic mistake and said they would return a separate Polish award.
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Poland's president has revoked the country's highest state honour from Ukraine's president after Kyiv named a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army. The Order of the White Eagle was originally awarded in 2023. The Polish president described the unit naming as outrageous and said it undermined trust built in recent months.
He added that the decision would not affect Poland's military support for Ukraine against Russia.
Background on the dispute Ukraine views the Ukrainian Insurgent Army as fighters who resisted both Nazi Germany and Soviet forces during World War II. Polish officials accuse the group of killing about 100,000 ethnic Poles in massacres in 1943-45. Ukraine's foreign minister said the revocation was a strategic mistake that benefits only Moscow.
He announced he would return an award he received from Poland in 2022. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged both sides to reduce tensions, warning that the dispute benefits Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ukraine began the first phase of European Union membership talks this week.
