Poland's foreign minister points out to Polish president that his decision was welcomed in Moscow

Poland's foreign minister, Radosław Sikorski, has drawn Polish President Karol Nawrocki's attention to how Russia has reacted to his decision to strip Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle over the renaming of a Ukrainian military unit after the heroes of the UPA. [The UPA, or Ukrainian Insurgent Army, was a nationalist paramilitary organisation that fought for Ukrainian independence during and after World War II, primarily against Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union – ed.]

Source: European Pravda

Details: In a post on X (Twitter), Sikorski highlighted a statement by Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council. Commenting on Nawrocki's decision to revoke the Order from Zelenskyy, Medvedev said that it had happened "at last".

Resorting to the usual "Nazi" epithets in relation to the president of Ukraine, Medvedev claimed that Poland's highest award had never been of any real value to Zelenskyy.

"There is support, President Nawrocki," Sikorski commented above Medvedev's statement.

Background:

• On the evening of 19 June, Nawrocki took the decision to strip Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle in connection with the naming of a Ukrainian unit after the Heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army. He said Poland would not allow EU accession for those who do not understand the need to renounce the "cult of totalitarianism and violence".
• Following this, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Ukrainian Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bodnar, and Head of the President's Office Kyrylo Budanov announced that they would be returning the Polish state awards they had received.
• Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has expressed regret that the dispute between Poland and Ukraine was further deepening, noting that it has "delighted Putin and shocked our allies". However, he did not comment on whether he would be taking the necessary procedural steps to approve Nawrocki's decision.
• So far Ukraine has not commented on whether the row will affect Zelenskyy's upcoming trip to Gdańsk, where this year's Ukraine Recovery Conference is due to take place.

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