Zelenskyy arrives in Poland for first visit since order was stripped

Wed, July 29, 2026 - 17:25

2 min

President plans meeting with Polish prime minister

Zelenskyy arrives in Poland for first visit since order was stripped

On Wednesday, July 29, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Poland on his way back from the United States, according to Polish state broadcaster TVP Info.

The Ukrainian president's arrival is being broadcast live.

Zelenskyy's aircraft landed in the Polish city of Lublin. The Ukrainian leader is scheduled to hold talks with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. It is Zelenskyy's first visit to Poland since relations between Kyiv and Warsaw deteriorated over Ukraine's decision to name one of its military units after the heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).

As previously reported, diplomatic tensions between Ukraine and Poland escalated in late May after Zelenskyy awarded one of Ukraine's Special Operations Forces units the honorary title Heroes of the UPA.

The move sparked a strong backlash in Warsaw. Poland holds the Ukrainian Insurgent Army responsible for the Volhynia massacres of 1943–1945, which it officially recognizes as genocide against the Polish population.

Amid ongoing disputes over historical memory and the role of the UPA, Polish President Karol Nawrocki stripped Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle. Later, former Ukrainian presidents also voluntarily returned the award.

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