Zelenskyy returns Poland's highest honor after Polish president revokes it in history dispute
cbsnews.com/news/ukrainian-officials-criticize-polish-presidents-decision-to-strip-zelenskyy-of-honor/
Photo: cbsnews.com · view article
Zelenskyy Returns Poland’s Top Award Amid Historic DisputeZelenskyy returned Poland's highest honor in June 2026 after the Polish president revoked it over WWII history disagreements.
Key FactsJun 21, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: cbsnews.com
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: cbsnews.com
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy returned a prestigious Polish state honor following its revocation linked to a politically sensitive historical issue.
- The controversy was sparked by Zelenskyy's decision to name a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, accused of wartime atrocities against Poles.
- Poland confirmed its military and humanitarian support for Ukraine would continue despite the diplomatic tension.
- Several Ukrainian officials also vowed to return Polish awards, while opponents urged both nations to reduce hostility.
Today, I sent the Order back to the President of Poland. I believe the future will confirm the respect Ukrainians deserve.— Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a social media post explaining the gesture (on X).
Story Details
| Last Updated | |
| Total Articles | 45 |
Main Topics
News on this topic
Zelensky stripped of Polish honour over WW2 name of army unit: Ukraine has denounced the move, calling it a "strategic mistake" and "disrespectful".
bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr7xzg3dmj8o
Zelenskyy returns Poland's highest honor after Polish president revokes it in history dispute
cbsnews.com/news/ukrainian-officials-criticize-polish-presidents-decision-to-strip-zelenskyy-of-honor/
Zelenskyy sends Order of White Eagle back to Polish president by post – photos: Володимир Зеленський відправив орден Білого Орла Каролю Навроцькому після ...
pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/06/20/8040322/
More articles on this subject
Previous
dpaq.de Jun 20
Zelensky returns highest Polish honour as historical row deepens ｜ DPA: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has returned Poland's highest state honour ...
app.ekkow.com/1441121266905792903
Zelensky mails revoked Polish medal back to Warsaw: Sending the medal back via Nova Post, Ukraine’s leading postal service, President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked ...
kyivindependent.com/zelensky-posts-stripped-polish-medal-back-to-warsaw/
Zelenskyy loses Polish state honor over naming of Ukrainian army unit: Polish President Karol Nawrocki has decided to strip Ukrainian President Volodymyr ...
apnews.com/article/poland-ukraine-insurgent-army-zelenskyy-nawrocki-order-48c3d4a494b744ff039923c3f1bed976
Polish president strips Zelenskyy of honour over naming of army unit after notorious WWII group
ctvnews.ca/world/russia-ukraine-war/article/polish-president-strips-zelenskyy-of-honour-over-naming-of-army-unit-after-notorious-wwii-group/
Zelensky returns highest Polish honour after award stripped: Ukraine's president said his country was open to "engagement" about "difficult and painful chapters ...
bbc.com/news/articles/c2lye7xje9yo
TVP World Jun 20
Ukrainian officials return Polish awards in deepening feud over Zelenskyy snub: Nawrocki stripped Zelenskyy of Poland’s top honor over a decree honoring the UPA ...
tvpworld.com/93918767/ukraines-budanov-returns-polish-award-in-protest-over-nawrockis-decision
Zelenskyy returns Poland's highest honor after Polish leader revokes it in a spat over history
pbs.org/newshour/world/zelenskyy-returns-polands-highest-honor-after-polish-leader-revokes-it-in-a-spat-over-history
Zelensky stripped of Polish honour over WWII dispute: KYIV - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff said on Saturday he was renouncing ...
bangkokpost.com/world/3273830/zelensky-stripped-of-polish-honour-over-wwii-dispute
Zelensky returns Poland’s highest honor amid escalating row over nationalist wartime unit
cnn.com/2026/06/20/europe/zelensky-returns-poland-honor-latam-intl
Ukraine's top officials return Polish awards as row deepens: A decision to strip Ukrainian leader Zelenskyy of Poland's highest state honor benefited Moscow ...
dw.com/en/ukraine-officials-return-polish-honors-after-zelenskyy-stripped-of-award/a-77637366
Polish president decides to strip Zelensky of honor for naming unit after group that massacred Poles
notesfrompoland.com/2026/06/19/polish-president-decides-to-strip-zelensky-of-honour-for-naming-unit-after-group-that-massacred-poles/
Zelensky stripped of Polish honour over WW2 name of army unit: Ukraine has denounced the move, calling it a "strategic mistake" and "disrespectful".
bbc.com/news/articles/cr7xzg3dmj8o
Poland strips Zelensky of top honour over WW2 dispute: Poland's president has decided to strip Volodymyr Zelensky of the country's top honour after the ...
rte.ie/news/2026/0620/1579422-poland-ukraine/
Polish activists decide to present Zelenskyy with their own order: Poles honour Zelenskyy with their own honour after he was stripped of the Order of the White ...
pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/06/21/8040431/
arabtimes Jun 20
Ukraine-Poland Tensions Rise as Zelenskyy Gives Back Order of the White Eagle Award
arabtimesonline.com/news/ukraine-poland-tensions-rise-as-zelenskyy-gives-back-order-of-the-white-eagle-award/
Polish president strips Zelensky of honorary title over military unit controversy, as Kyiv calls decision 'strategic mistake'
kyivindependent.com/polish-president-strips-zelensky-of-honorary-title-over-military-unit-controversy/
Poland strips Zelenskiy of top honour as WW2 dispute sours ties: Poland's president has decided to strip Volodymyr Zelenskiy of the country's top honour after ...
reuters.com/world/europe/polish-president-decides-strip-ukraines-zelenskiy-top-honour-over-ww2-dispute-2026-06-19/
Zelensky returns Polish award as WWII row strains alliance: Ukraine and Poland's close wartime partnership has been shaken by a growing dispute over World War II ...
france24.com/en/europe/20260620-ukraine-s-zelensky-top-officials-return-polish-awards-in-wwii-row
Zelenskyy and top Ukrainian officials return Polish awards in WWII dispute: The move comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was stripped of Poland’s ...
aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/20/top-ukrainian-officials-return-polish-awards-in-wwii-dispute
BBC Jun 20
Zelensky returns highest Polish honour after award stripped: Ukraine's president said his country was open to "engagement" about "difficult and painful chapters ...
bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2lye7xje9yo
Yeni Safak English Jun 20
Poland revokes Zelenskyy’s highest state honour over WWII dispute: Polish President Karol Nawrocki revoked the Order of the White Eagle awarded to Ukraine’s ...
wa-piri-yenisafak-ui-react.azurewebsites.net/world/poland-revokes-zelenskyys-highest-state-honour-over-wwii-dispute-3719784
Ukrainian officials criticize Polish president's decision to strip Zelenskyy of honor
abcnews.com/International/wireStory/ukrainian-officials-criticize-polish-presidents-decision-strip-zelenskyy-134053656
Zelensky returns Poland's highest honor amid feud over history: Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky has returned a state honor to Poland after the Polish ...
latimes.com/world-nation/story/2026-06-20/zelensky-returns-polands-highest-honor-amid-feud-over-history
Poland's president strips Zelenskyy of top honor: Karol Nawrocki's decision to strip Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Poland's highest honor is likely to spark a ...
dw.com/en/polands-president-strips-zelenskyy-of-top-honor/a-77632926
Nawrocki strips Zelensky of Poland’s highest honor: Polish President Karol Nawrocki has decided to strip Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of the Order of ...
ukrinform.net/rubric-polytics/4135736-nawrocki-strips-zelensky-of-polands-highest-honor.html
Polish foreign minister points out to Polish president that his decision was welcomed in Moscow
pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/06/20/8040282/
Polish president strips Zelenskyy of honor over naming of army unit after notorious WWII group
pressdemocrat.com/2026/06/19/poland-revoke-zelenskyy-state-honor-dispute/
Poland’s president strips Ukraine’s Zelensky of top award: The row began after the Ukrainian leader named a military unit after a WWII insurgent army that took ...
scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3357747/polands-president-strips-ukraines-zelensky-top-award
Paid articlePaywall Next
Similar to This
Previous
defence-blog.com Oct 29
Poland hands Ukraine two more MiG-29 fighter jets: Poland will soon hand Ukraine two more MiG-29 fighter jets as part of a new military aid package worth about ...
defence-blog.com/poland-hands-ukraine-two-more-mig-29-fighter-jets/
45 seconds of voting in the Lviv Oblast Council sparked a new dispute with Poland: Warsaw says Kyiv promised the UPA year decision will not take effect
euromaidanpress.com/2026/10/23/45-seconds-of-voting-in-the-lviv-oblast-council-sparked-a-new-dispute-with-poland-warsaw-says-kyiv-promised-the-upa-year-decision-will-not-take-effect/
Poland has no Patriot missiles left for Ukraine, Sikorski says: Sikorski said that the shortage of missiles had worsened after the attacks on Iran.
kyivindependent.com/poland-has-no-patriot-missiles-left-for-ukraine-sikorski-says/
Poland provided aid to defend Kyiv, Zelensky says: Zelensky said Poland had provided ammunition used by Ukraine's anti-aircraft guns, but also hinted at other ...
kyivindependent.com/poland-provided-aid-to-defend-kyiv-zelensky-says/
Rift Over World War II-Era Killings Rocks Crucial Ukraine-Poland Ties: Poland, steeped in bad memories of the 1939 invasion and decades of Soviet dominance after ...
rferl.org/a/ukraine-poland-bloody-history-volyn-volhynia/33800112.html
UNITED24 Media Jul 08
Zelenskyy and Nawrocki Hold First Meeting After Polish Award Controversy: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Polish President Karol Nawrocki met for ...
united24media.com/world/zelenskyy-and-nawrocki-hold-first-meeting-after-polish-award-controversy-20591
Polish FM criticizes Nawrocki's decision to strip Zelensky of top honor: Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on June 26 that President Karol ...
kyivindependent.com/polish-fm-criticizes-nawrockis-decision-to-strip-zelensky-of-top-honor/
The Bulwark Jun 26
Trump’s Friend in Poland Is Doing Putin a Huge Favor: Polish President Karol Nawrocki is the reason for the recent row with Ukraine.
thebulwark.com/p/trumps-friend-in-poland-is-doing-putin-huge-favor-ukraine-zelensky-nawrocki-tusk
Poland and Ukraine's historical dispute: how did we get here and where do we go now?
notesfrompoland.com/2026/06/22/poland-and-ukraines-historical-dispute-how-did-we-get-here-and-where-do-we-go-now/
Poland’s President Nawrocki is Behaving Like Viktor Orban, Zelenskyy Says: He added that Nawrocki is creating hostility towards Ukrainians for his own political ...
kyivpost.com/post/78667
Poland, Ukraine: Dispute between two close allies deepens: In better times: Polish President Karol Nawrocki (left) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in ...
globalnation.inquirer.net/328535/poland-ukraine-dispute-between-two-close-allies-deepens
Polish president denies Zelenskyy's remarks that "order controversy" is linked to Polish domestic politics
pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/06/22/8040572/
Zelenskyy slams Polish president: 'Inciting hatred. This will end badly': Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sharply criticized Polish President Karol ...
ynetnews.com/article/lbxkf2me1
TVP World Jun 19
Poland's Nawrocki strips Zelenskyy of highest state honor: Polish President Karol Nawrocki has decided to strip Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the ...
tvpworld.com/93906589/polands-nawrocki-strips-zelenskyy-of-white-eagle-honor
Polish PM Tusk Warns Diplomatic Rift Over Zelensky’s Award ‘Pleases Putin’: Donald Tusk has warned that the escalating diplomatic dispute over Karol Nawrocki’s ...
kyivpost.com/post/78594
MP Czarnek: Zelensky's betrayal cost him Poland's highest honor: “People are pleased with the president's decision, not with the very fact that it ...
polanddaily24.com/mp-czarnek-zelenskys-betrayal-cost-him-polands-highest-honour/poland-today/71198
Zelensky under pressure to end row with Poland over WW2 name of army unit: Poland is threatening to strip Ukraine's president of a state honour over the naming ...
bbc.com/news/articles/c992r4kn5j9o
Prof. Cenckiewicz on the dispute with Ukraine: “We have no strategy for Kyiv”: The decision by Volodymyr Zelenskyy to name a Ukrainian military unit after the ...
polanddaily24.com/prof-cenckiewicz-on-the-dispute-with-ukraine-we-have-no-strategy-for-kyiv/poland-today/70544
Outrage as Zelensky names army unit after group that slaughtered Poles in Second World War
independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/zelensky-poland-ukrainian-insurgent-army-b2986372.html
MFA: Commemoration of UPA heroes carried no anti-Polish undertones: The history of the Polish and Ukrainian peoples contains both glorious and tragic chapters ...
ukrinform.net/rubric-polytics/4128691-mfa-commemoration-of-upa-heroes-carried-no-antipolish-undertones.html
Ukrainian and Polish presidents show unity against Russia, address historical tensions
arabnews.com/node/2626844/world
Next