Former Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma has decided to return the highest state award of the Republic of Poland, the Order of the White Eagle, to the Polish authorities, according to Ukraine's Channel 24, citing Kuchma's press secretary, Darya Olifer, APA reports.
"Former Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma has refused the Polish Order of the White Eagle, which he was awarded in 1997. He made this decision in response to Poland's decision to strip Volodymyr Zelensky of this order," the press secretary stated.
On June 20, Zelenskyy announced that he was returning the Order to Polish President Karol Nawrocki. Nawrocki stated that he had decided to strip Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle in connection with the latter's decision to bestow the name "Heroes of the UPA" on a unit of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Members of the UPA are considered criminals in Poland, responsible for the murder of over 100,000 Polish citizens in Volyn in 1943. Zelenskyy was awarded the Order by the previous Polish President, Andrzej Duda (2015-2025).
Several Ukrainian officials have also decided to refuse Polish state awards. For example, Ukrainian Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bodnar refused the Knight's Cross; Zelenskyy's head of office, Kyrylo Budanov (listed as a terrorist and extremist by the Russian Federation), refused the Gold Officer's Cross; Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha announced he would return the Commander's Cross he received from the Polish government; and Zelenskyy's deputy head of office, Ihor Zhovkva, also decided to return the Knight's Cross of the Order of Merit to Poland.
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