KYIV — A growing diplomatic dispute between Ukraine and Poland escalated Saturday when President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s chief of staff announced he was giving back a Polish state honor in protest of actions taken by Polish President Karol Nawrocki.
Kyrylo Budanov said he was returning the Golden Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland — an award he received last year — calling Nawrocki’s recent decision a “gift” for Russia. The move threatens to strain relations between two nations that have been close strategic partners as Ukraine seeks international support in its ongoing war with Russia.
The dispute began Friday when Nawrocki announced he was revoking the Order of the White Eagle — Poland’s highest honor — from Zelenskiy. The Polish president cited Zelenskiy’s decision to rename a military unit after World War Two-era Ukrainian insurgents who have been blamed for the massacre of Polish civilians.
Budanov took to social media to express his objection, writing: “Our nations have long-standing relations and different pages of history — both heroic and tragic. However, this should be an occasion for deep reflection, not crude political speculation.”
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had already weighed in before Budanov’s announcement, calling Nawrocki’s decision a “strategic error.” Meanwhile, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk — a political opponent of Nawrocki — appealed to both leaders to keep a level head amid the escalating tensions.
