Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha announced his intention to return the Commander’s Cross with Star of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland following the decision to strip President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle.
According to the minister, the Polish side’s decision is a "strategic mistake" from which, in his view, only Moscow will benefit.
"Against the backdrop of such reckless actions, I see no possibility of retaining the high state award of the Republic of Poland bestowed upon me in October 2022 – the Commander’s Cross with Star of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland. I will return it to Poland in the near future," Sybiha wrote on Facebook.
The foreign minister stressed that the issue is not about awards but about mutual respect between states.
"This is not about orders and decorations, but about attitudes. We have always advocated an approach based on mutual respect, even when dealing with difficult and sensitive issues. That means respecting each other’s decisions even when we disagree with them," he said.
Sybiha also stated that over the past year and a half, Ukraine has worked to resolve disputes with Poland, depoliticize historical issues, restore professional and academic cooperation, facilitate search and exhumation efforts and reburials, and resume the activities of the Congress of Historians.
According to him, search operations are currently ongoing in Huta Peniatska at the request of the Polish side.
The minister described the current deterioration in relations as counterproductive and unnecessary for either Ukraine or Poland.
"No president of another country will dictate our history to us," Sybiha said.
He expressed hope for a return to an equal dialogue between Ukraine and Poland that reflects the allied relationship between the two states in the face of a common enemy in Moscow.
As reported, Polish President Karol Nawrocki earlier announced his decision to revoke President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Order of the White Eagle, citing disagreements over historical memory and attitudes toward the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).
