Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that, in his view, conflict between Poland and Ukraine delights Putin and shocks allies, emphasizing that the task of political leaders is to calm tensions and reduce friction rather than inflame it.
"A conflict between Poland and Ukraine delights Putin and shocks our allies. The task of Presidents Zelenskyy and Nawrocki is to calm emotions, not fuel tensions. The front line lies elsewhere," Tusk said in a post published on the social media platform X.
Under the Polish Constitution, if the prime minister does not sign (countersign) the president’s decision to revoke the Order of the White Eagle, it will not enter into legal force.
As reported, on June 19, Polish President Karol Nawrocki announced his decision to strip President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle, citing disagreements over historical memory and attitudes toward the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). According to him, for the majority of Polish society, the UPA remains a formation responsible for crimes against citizens of the Republic of Poland during World War II. Nawrocki also expressed disagreement with Zelenskyy’s decision to grant the Separate Special Operations Center "North" of Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces an honorary designation in honor of the Heroes of the UPA.
In turn, 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 Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle.
