Top Ukrainian officials return Polish awards for WWII conflict | News of the Russia-Ukraine war

This happened after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was stripped of the highest honor in Poland.

Top Ukrainian officials say they are retaliating against Polish President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after he was stripped of Warsaw’s top honor in a spat between the allies during World War II.

Zelenskyy’s leader, Kyrylo Budanov; Ukrainian ambassador in Warsaw, Vasyl Bodnar; and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha said on Saturday that he would withdraw the awards given by Poland.

“Our countries have a long relationship and different pages of history – strong and sad,” Budanov said on TV. “However, this should be a time for serious reflection, not political speculation.”

Zelenskyy drew the ire of many in Poland for choosing an army after the Ukrainian army accused of massacring Poles during World War II.

In the decree of May 26, Zelenskyy named the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) – the name of the group that was active in the 1940s and 1950s.

On Friday, Polish President Karol Nawrocki announced that he would strip Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle, which was awarded to him by former Polish President Andrzej Duda in 2023 for security, courage and protection of human rights.

For many in Poland, “the treasonous Ukrainian army is still the group that committed atrocities against Polish citizens during the Second World War,” Nawrocki said on television, adding that the decision would not end Poland’s support for Ukraine against Russia.

Ukrainian officials criticized the decision, saying it played into Russia’s hands. Mr. Budanov, the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, wrote on Telegram that “it is without love for our people” and “a gift to the tyrant from Moscow, which he will use against all our countries”.

Foreign Minister Sybiha called it a “big mistake” while Bodnar said it was “very painful” because Ukraine defends Russia.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who is opposed to President Nawrocki, urged both sides to “set the tension” in a tweet on Friday.

The conflict between Poland and Ukraine “pleases Putin and surprises his allies,” he said.

The UPA fought against Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, and is accused of killing many Poles in Nazi-occupied territories. Ukrainians say that the UPA and the Polish underground forces launched mass attacks and retaliated against each other, resulting in the deaths of Ukrainian and Polish civilians.