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Home/Poland/Topic · Svybiga returns Polish award after Zelensky stripped
Poland5h ago

Svybiga returns Polish award after Zelensky stripped

Zelensky has returned Poland's Order of the White Eagle to President Nawrocki, citing its association with historical figures like Catherine the Great and Mussolini.

Sources
5 verified
Location
Poland
Updated
Saturday, 20 June 2026 at 14:09 UTC
No media · text-only dispatch
Synthesis · 5 sources
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has returned Poland's Order of the White Eagle to President Karol Nawrocki, posting a photo from a Nova Poshta branch showing the award being shipped back. In a statement, Zelensky said the order symbolizes Poland's highest trust and gratitude, but noted that if it can remain associated with figures such as Catherine the Great, Benito Mussolini, and Gerhard Schröder, Ukraine will not argue with that. The move follows Poland's revocation of the award, which had sparked a diplomatic dispute between the two nations. This is the latest escalation in a growing rift between Warsaw and Kyiv over historical and political grievances.
Updates · 3
5h agoAnalyst Intel

The message adds that Budanov specifically renounced the Gold Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit, providing a specific award name not in the existing topic.

4h agoDD Geopolitics

Zelensky has now announced he is returning the award, with a statement that includes a dig at Warsaw by noting the award's past recipients and closing with the UPA-associated slogan 'Slava Ukraini.'

4h agoKyiv Post

Zelensky has now physically returned the award, posting a photo from a Nova Poshta branch showing it being shipped to the Polish presidential office. He added a statement comparing the award's recipients to historical figures including Catherine the Great, Mussolini, and Schröder.

e/eineurope · topic · T-86589