The submission of a draft law on the creation of the National Pantheon in Ukraine by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy constitutes an escalation, according to a statement by the Chancellery of Polish President Karol Nawrocki, published on X on Wednesday.
"President Zelenskyy announced the submission of the law on the National Pantheon – this is the next stage of escalation by the Ukrainian authorities after the late May decision to name one of the military units after the ‘heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA)’. These actions prove that President Nawrocki was right to frame the issue this way – that is, by announcing he would strip the Order of the White Eagle and ultimately stripping this highest Polish award. As seen from the wave of criticism that hit the President from the ruling circles, who now themselves admit the President’s correctness – Karol Nawrocki’s firm defense of Polish affairs is correct," the text of the statement reads.
At the same time, the statement emphasizes Poland’s role in securing NATO’s eastern flank amid Russia aggression against Ukraine. "We have another important NATO summit ahead. The war in Ukraine is still ongoing, and we are a key element in securing the eastern flank of the Alliance. Therefore, in particular, the President met at an informal summit last weekend with the presidents of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Romania. Last week, the Polish President met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. All this was preparation for the talks next week in Ankara," Nawrocki’s chancellery said.
It is noted that from the very beginning of his presidential term, Nawrocki sought a permanent presence of US troops in Poland and an increase in their number. "The President’s actions gave the green light for the government to seriously talk about creating a permanent American base in Poland," the chancellery believes.
As reported, at the end of May 2026, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy granted the Separate Special Operations Center North of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine the honorary title "named after the Heroes of the UPA". The decision caused criticism in Poland, where the Ukrainian Insurgent Army is linked to the Volyn tragedy.
On June 19, Polish President Karol Nawrocki announced the decision to Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle, explaining it by disagreements regarding historical memory and the attitude towards the Ukrainian Insurgent Army. Following this, the second President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma, the third President Viktor Yushchenko, former Foreign Minister Borys Tarasiuk, and a number of other Ukrainian statesmen renounced the Polish award.
Former Polish National Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak also announced his intention to renounce the Ukrainian Order of Merit following the decision of the leader of his Law and Justice party, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, to return the Ukrainian Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise.
European Union Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova expressed hope that Ukrainian-Polish relations are at a stage of de-escalation.
At the end of March, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov stated that in the near future, based on the results of all discussions, he would submit for the President’s consideration developments and proposals for creating a Pantheon of prominent Ukrainians, which would list outstanding natives of Ukraine currently buried abroad.
On May 15, the Cabinet of Ministers ordered the reburial in Ukraine of the remains of Andriy Melnyk and his wife Sofiya Fedak-Melnyk on the territory of the National Military Memorial Cemetery. On May 19, an exhumation ceremony of the ashes took place in Luxembourg, and the reburial at the cemetery itself took place on May 25.
On May 19, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is conducting negotiations on the return of the body of UNR Army Colonel, Sich Riflemen commander, and founder and first head of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists Yevhen Konovalets, who is buried at the Crooswijk cemetery in the city of Rotterdam (Netherlands). On May 25, Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Iryna Vereshchuk reported that Ukraine already has permission for the reburial of Konovalets, and it will take place in the near future. On May 20, current head of the OUN, first Deputy Head of the State Committee for Television and Radio Broadcasting Bohdan Chervak stated that the return to Ukraine of the ashes of Konovalets and Head of the Directorate of the Ukrainian People’s Republic (UNR), Chief Otaman of the UNR troops and fleet Symon Petliura could happen soon. In turn, Head of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance Oleksandr Alforov states that it is necessary to speak about the reburial in Ukraine of Petliura (buried in Paris, France) and Hetman of the Ukrainian State Pavlo Skoropadsky (buried in Oberstdorf, Germany).
The third President of Ukraine (2004-2010) Viktor Yushchenko believes that Ukraine is obliged to seek the return of the ashes of Hetmans Ivan Mazepa and Pylyp Orlyk, as well as OUN leader Stepan Bandera. Alforov states that the family is not against the reburial of Stepan Bandera in Ukraine, but there are concerns regarding the security of the grave during the war.
