Sikorski warned Nawrocki against stripping Zelenskyy of Order of White Eagle and mentioned Schröder
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski criticized Karol Nawrocki’s initiative to strip Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Poland’s highest state honor—the Order of the White Eagle. He noted that former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder remains a recipient of the order.
His remarks are quoted by the Polish news agency PAP, according to Censor.NET.
Navrotsky must make a well-considered decision
Today, May 8, the Chapter of the Order of the White Eagle considered a proposal by Polish President Nawrocki to strip Zelenskyy of this award due to the controversy surrounding the naming of one of the Special Operations Forces units after the "Heroes of the UPA."
When asked by journalists whether they should support Nawrocki’s proposal to strip Zelenskyy of his medal, Sikorsky urged his colleagues to weigh all the political risks and reminded them of their responsibility.
"The president (Nawrocki, — ed.) wanted to influence foreign policy, so a decision awaits him that will undoubtedly have a significant impact on it. Therefore, I hope that the Chapter and the president will make a wise decision," he said.
The absurdity of the decision
At the same time, Sikorski pointed out the double standards and the absurdity of the situation that would arise if the Chapter were to rule in favor of Nawrocki. He noted that "it would be strange" if Poland's highest honor were to remain with former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder.
The minister emphasized that Schröder is "taking money" from the Russian dictator, and under such circumstances, one cannot strip of an order a person who is currently leading a country at war and fighting against Putin.
As a reminder, Gerhard Schröder served as German chancellor from 1998 to 2005. He has been criticized for his post-retirement work with Russian oil and gas companies. In 2014, following the annexation of Crimea, the German politician celebrated his 70th birthday with Putin in Russia.
Schröder continued to work for Russian energy companies even after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The scandal involving the unit named after the Heroes of the UPA
- Tensions in Ukrainian-Polish relations flared up after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree on May 26 conferring the honorary title "Named After the Heroes of the UPA" on the "North" Special Operations Center of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The text of the document stated that the decision was made with the aim of "restoring the historical traditions of the national army."
- Lech Wałęsa, former president of Poland and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, demonstratively removed the Ukrainian flag pin he always wore as a sign of protest and accused Zelenskyy of "honoring UPA bandits," which, he said, "offended him personally and all the Poles who were killed."
- Bartosz Cichocki, the former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Poland to Ukraine, officially returned the Order "For Merit" that Zelenskyy had awarded him in 2022, in response to this decision.
- Marcin Przydacz, head of the International Policy Bureau at the Office of the President of Poland, stated that Volodymyr Zelenskyy should personally call his Polish counterpart Karol Nawrocki and formally apologize for naming a Special Operations Forces unit "after the Heroes of the UPA."
