President Volodymyr Zelensky and three former Ukrainian presidents formally renounced the Order of the White Eagle, Poland’s highest state honor on Saturday, June 20. Zelensky announced that he had mailed the Order of the White Eagle back to Polish President Karol Nawrocki.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. In a published statement, Zelensky referenced Nawrocki’s assertion that the order symbolizes the highest trust of the Republic of Poland and requires respect for the values that form the foundation of its community. “If it is considered that this special symbol can remain with Catherine II, Benito Mussolini, and Gerhard Schroeder, then we in Ukraine will not argue with this,” Zelensky stated, accompanying his message with a photograph of the award being returned by mail. Zelensky added that Ukraine remains grateful to its allies and is open to meaningful cooperation with Poland to prevent misinterpretations of historical events, while ensuring that the focus remains on regional security and preventing a Russian victory in Europe.
Former presidents issue statements Following Zelensky’s announcement, former Presidents Leonid Kuchma, Viktor Yushchenko, and Petro Poroshenko also declared their refusal of the Order of the White Eagle. Kuchma, who received the award in 1997, stated his decision was a direct response to Nawrocki’s actions. He referenced his past work with former Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski to achieve historical reconciliation under the principle of “forgive and ask for forgiveness.”
