The Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) was a nationalist partisan force that fought during and after World War II for an independent Ukrainian state. While many Ukrainians view the group as part of the country’s struggle for independence, Poland considers the UPA responsible for mass killings of Polish civilians in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia during the war.
Former Polish President Andrzej Duda presented Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky with the Order of the White Eagle
Polish President Karol Nawrocki said Friday he had revoked/stripped President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Order of the White Eagle, Poland’s highest state distinction, citing Ukraine’s decision to grant a military unit the honorary title “Heroes of the UPA.”
Foreign Minister Returns Honor.
The dispute escalated further later on Friday when Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha announced he would return the Commander’s Cross with Star of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland, which he received in October 2022.