Response was inappropriate: Poland's Sikorski condemns decision over Zelenskyy's award
Photo: Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski (Getty Images)
The decision to strip the Ukrainian President of the Order of the White Eagle was a mistake because it humiliated the leader of a country at war. Such a response to historical disputes was inappropriate, according to Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski.
"A better name should have been chosen": Sikorski's position
A diplomatic conflict erupted following Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s decision to name a Special Operations Forces unit after the Heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). Sikorski said the Ukrainian side should have taken Poland's historical sensitivities into account.
He noted that while the UPA fought against the Soviet regime, it was also responsible for the killing of Poles. He suggested that a different name could have been chosen for the unit, such as honoring a specific individual who fought against Soviet occupation.
At the same time, the Polish foreign minister acknowledged that the actions of Karol Nawrocki in revoking the award were disproportionate.
"Our reaction was also inappropriate as it personally insulted the Ukrainian President. If President Nawrocki had asked me, I would have advised something else. An equivalent could have been, for example, renaming the Jasionka airport to the UPA Victims Airport, and then everything would have been balanced," the Polish Foreign Minister suggested.
Risks for dialogue and EU accession
Sikorski warned that such steps had effectively deprived Poland of the ability to maintain dialogue with the President of a country currently at war. He also highlighted future challenges related to Ukraine's integration into the European Union.
The Foreign Minister recalled that negotiations are only part of the process and that the final treaty on Ukraine's accession to the EU would require the signature of Poland's President.
"I would like to see what arguments the Ukrainian side will use to convince the Polish President to ratify the treaty, because in our country, it requires the signature of the head of state," Sikorski emphasized.
As previously reported, Karol Nawrocki stripped Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest state honor. The decision followed the naming of a Ukrainian Special Operations Forces unit after the Heroes of the UPA.
In response, Head of the Presidential Office Kyrylo Budanov and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha rejected their Polish awards. Former presidents Petro Poroshenko, Viktor Yushchenko, and Leonid Kuchma returned their decorations.
For his part, Volodymyr Zelenskyy sent the award back to Warsaw by Nova Poshta service.
