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

Mariya Yemets, Roman Petrenko - 20 June, 11:41

Stock photo: Getty Images

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has drawn Polish President Karol Nawrocki's attention to how Russia reacted to his decision to revoke an award from the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the renaming of one of the Ukrainian units 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: Sikorski, in a post on X (Twitter), referred to a statement by Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council. Medvedev, commenting on Nawrocki's decision to revoke the Order from Zelenskyy, said that it had finally happened.

Using the usual "Nazi" epithets towards the president of Ukraine, he suggested that the highest Polish award had, supposedly, never been of any real value to Zelenskyy.

"There is support, President Nawrocki," Poland's foreign minister commented on Medvedev's statement.

Background:

On the evening of 19 June, Polish President Karol Nawrocki decided to strip Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle in connection with the naming of one of the Ukrainian units after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army and stated that Poland would not allow EU accession for those who do not understand the need to renounce the "cult of totalitarianism and violence".
Following this move, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Ukrainian Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bodnar, and Head of the President's Office Kyrylo Budanov announced that they would return the Polish state awards they had received.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk expressed regret that the dispute between Poland and Ukraine was further deepening, noting that it only "pleases Putin and shocks our allies". Meanwhile, he did not comment on whether he would take the necessary procedural steps to endorse Nawrocki's decision.
The Ukrainian side has not yet commented on whether the scandal will affect Zelenskyy's trip to Gdańsk, where this year's Ukraine Recovery Conference is due to take place.

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!