The tensions between Ukraine and Poland over the interpretation of historical past have escalated in an unprecedented manner, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and three of his predecessors decided to return the Order of the White Eagle, the highest distinction of the Polish state.
The gesture comes in response to the decision of Polish President Karol Nawrocki to withdraw this decoration from Zelenski against the backdrop of disagreements over the historical legacy of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), a subject that continues to provoke disputes between the two neighboring states.
Zelenski sent the decoration back to Warsaw
In a message published on Saturday, the Ukrainian leader announced that he has sent the Order of the White Eagle by mail to the President of Poland.
Zelenski referred to Nawrocki’s statements, according to which this distinction symbolizes the highest expression of trust granted by the Polish Republic and implies adherence to the values that underpin the Polish community.
“If it is considered that this special symbol can remain in the possession of personalities such as Catherine II, Benito Mussolini, or Gerhard Schröder, then we, in Ukraine, will not dispute this”, conveyed the Ukrainian president, also publishing a photo of the package containing the decoration.
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