Polish activists decide to present Zelenskyy with their own order

Ivanna Kostina, KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO - 21 June, 17:35

Civic Order of the Future. Photo: sestry.eu

Representatives of Polish civil society have decided to present President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with the Civic Order of the Future after Polish President Karol Nawrocki stripped him of the Order of the White Eagle.

Source: Ukrainian-Polish online news outlet Sestry.eu, as reported by European Pravda

Details: In response to Nawrocki's decision to strip Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle, representatives of the liberal-democratic segment of Polish society, who strongly oppose the move, have decided to honour the Ukrainian president and the Ukrainian people with their own order.

"Ukrainians are giving their lives for their own security, as well as that of Poland and Europe. The current decision by the Polish head of state demonstrates how the Russian trap works. The Polish right wing has launched a campaign ahead of the parliamentary elections and is ruthlessly exploiting the Volhynia tragedy for political gain. Politicians are arguing over the year 1943, while people are still dying in Ukraine in 2026," Sestry.eu says.

[The Volyn (Volhynia) tragedy was a series of events that led to the ethnic cleansing of the Polish and Ukrainian populations in 1943 during World War II. It was part of a long-standing rivalry between Ukrainians and Poles in what is now Ukraine's west. Poland considers the Volyn tragedy a genocide of Poles – ed.]

The authors of the initiative believe that the Polish president and his team are fuelling Russian propaganda.

Quote: "That is why, as citizens of the Republic of Poland, we are awarding our own medal. We are doing this from the grassroots up. In this way, we are showing that many Poles will not allow themselves to be pitted against Ukrainians. We have helped and will continue to help. We do not need politicians' permission to treat other people with decency."

More details: The activists named their award the Civic Order of the Future. It is noted that its creator is Szymon Szymankiewicz.

Background:

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha earlier said that the Ukrainian side would mirror all unfriendly steps taken towards Ukraine.
Before that, he thanked Poles who do not support the escalation of tensions with Ukraine and recalled the shared enemy – Russia.
On the evening of 19 June, Polish President Karol Nawrocki took the decision to strip Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle in connection with the naming of a Ukrainian military 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.
On 20 June, Zelenskyy said he had sent the order back to Nawrocki by post.
On 20 June, Nawrocki explained that he had stripped Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle because Zelenskyy had crossed the Poles' "pain threshold".
During the day on 20 June, former Ukrainian presidents Leonid Kuchma, Viktor Yushchenko and Petro Poroshenko announced that they were renouncing their Orders of the White Eagle.

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!