Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has publicly criticized the escalating diplomatic conflict between Poland and Ukraine, warning that the current tensions over historical memory and state awards only serve Russia’s interests. Tusk’s comments follow Polish President Karol Nawrocki’s decision to strip President Volodymyr Zelensky of the Order of the White Eagle, Poland’s highest state distinction.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “The conflict between Poland and Ukraine pleases Putin and shocks our allies,” Tusk wrote in a statement on X. “The task of presidents Zelensky and Nawrocki is to calm passions, not incite tension. The front line lies elsewhere.” Nawrocki’s justification for revocation The diplomatic dispute centers on Nawrocki’s announcement regarding Zelensky’s award. In a recent video address, the Polish president explained that his decision was a direct response to Ukraine granting a military unit the honorary title “Heroes of the UPA.” The Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) was a nationalist partisan force active during and after World War II. While recognized in Ukraine for its role in the state’s independence struggle, Warsaw holds the organization responsible for the mass killings of Polish civilians in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia. According to Nawrocki, the naming of the unit “goes far beyond the internal affairs of Ukraine.” “Poland has repeatedly emphasized to the Ukrainian side the special importance of this issue,” Nawrocki stated. “We communicated our position and expectations regarding the reconsideration of the consequences of this decision for relations between our states. Ultimately, the position of the Ukrainian side has not changed.”