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Zelensky stripped of Polish honour over WW2 name of army unit
BBC • • world
Key Points:
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been stripped of Poland's highest state honour, the Order of the White Eagle, due to Kyiv's decision to name a military unit after the controversial Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).
- The UPA is viewed by many Ukrainians as heroes fighting for independence against Soviet, Nazi, and Polish forces, while Poland accuses the group of committing genocide against ethnic Poles in Volhynia during 1943-45.
- Polish President Andrzej Duda condemned Ukraine's glorification of the UPA as deeply disappointing and damaging to Polish-Ukrainian trust, emphasizing the need for Ukraine to confront difficult historical chapters as it pursues EU membership.
- The dispute has drawn criticism from European leaders, with calls to de-escalate tensions, as the conflict risks undermining European unity and plays into Russian President Vladimir Putin's interests.
- The UPA remains a potent symbol of Ukrainian resistance, with its flag used by troops on the front line, and Zelensky defended the naming decision as restoring national army traditions.
