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Polish President Revokes Ukrainian Leader's State Honor Over Wartime Unit Naming
Polish President Karol Nawrocki announced Friday he will strip Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle. The move follows a May decree naming a Ukrainian military unit after a World War II paramilitary group accused of killing Poles.
The IndependentAudio version
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The decision stems from a May 26 decree in which Zelenskyy named a unit of Ukraine's Special Operations Forces after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, a group Polish authorities have linked to mass killings of Poles during World War II. " The award had been given to Zelenskyy in 2023 by former Polish President Andrzej Duda for contributions to security and human rights.
" Ukraine's ambassador to Poland, Vasyl Bodnar, said the decision was "especially painful" while Ukrainians face missile and drone attacks. All three officials stated they would return Polish state honors they had received.
" Nawrocki said the revocation would not reduce Poland's support for Ukraine's defense against Russia. Poland is scheduled to host a major postwar reconstruction event next week that Zelenskyy is expected to attend. A December meeting between the two presidents had previously signaled progress on historical reconciliation issues, including exhumations of Polish victims.
Transparency
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CorroborationLimited · 3 sources
