Poroshenko, following in footsteps of Kuchma and Yushchenko, has declined Order of White Eagle: "Award was given to Ukrainians, not to heads of state"
The fifth President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, has declined the Polish Order of the White Eagle following the decision by Polish President Karol Nawrocki to strip Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the honour.
Poroshenko announced this on social media, according to Censor.NET.
Poroshenko refuses the honour
Poroshenko described Nawrocki’s decision as mistaken and unfair to the Ukrainian people.
"In both Zelenskyy’s case and my own, it was not the heads of state who were honoured, but Ukrainians – our soldiers who are defending Ukraine, Poland, and the whole of Europe. That is why I have decided to decline the Order of the White Eagle. Two weeks ago, I promised my colleagues on the conciliation council that I would take this step if we failed to persuade President Navrotsky not to make the wrong decision. Unfortunately, we did not succeed," the politician stated.
Poroshenko noted that his decision is a gesture in response to the decision by Polish President Karol Nawrocki, and is not directed at the Polish people.
"Despite the fact that, as a result of an illegal and unconstitutional decision by the Ukrainian authorities, I have been stripped of all state honours due to sanctions, I have decided to decline the Order of the White Eagle. This is my gesture in response to the Polish President’s decision. But this step is in no way directed at the Polish people! My gratitude to Poland for its support of Ukraine and Ukrainians during difficult times remains unchanged. My deep conviction in the strategic value of the Ukrainian-Polish partnership remains unchanged. My respect for my colleagues and friends – Presidents Kwaśniewski, Komorowski and Duda, Prime Minister Tusk, Foreign Minister Sikorski and the other Polish politicians with whom we have built and will continue to build a strong partnership – I would even say an alliance – remains unchanged," emphasised the fifth president.
The politician stressed that "those in Poland who do not regurgitate historical myths, but study history and draw conclusions from its lessons, know that once Ukraine loses its independence, Poland loses it too".
"I do not want the Poles to edit our textbooks, and I in no way claim that we Ukrainians should amend Polish textbooks, because otherwise they will send us a joint textbook from Moscow," he stated.
At the same time, Poroshenko stated that today it is worth asking a few honest questions:
"Who has brought Ukrainian-Polish relations to a point where historical disputes have once again come to dominate issues of common security? Who has set the Ukrainian state up for failure by allowing complex chapters of history to be turned into a tool of political confrontation? Who failed to see – or refused to see – that only one capital stands to gain from this escalation: Moscow?"
He emphasised that logistics are of paramount importance in the Russian-Ukrainian war. However, he said, Russia is attempting, through its agents of influence, its ‘useful idiots’ and old historical wounds, to undermine our logistics in the west — where the key supply routes supporting Ukraine lie.
"That is why any crisis between Kyiv and Warsaw today is not merely a diplomatic issue. It is a matter of security. And that is precisely why it must be resolved immediately. Today, it is important not to deepen the conflict, but to bring it to an end," stressed the fifth president.
Seeking solutions
Poroshenko proposes "starting as early as Monday to seek solutions that will prevent the current crisis from deepening, and instead turn it into a catalyst for a new phase of Ukrainian-Polish partnership — one that is honest, friendly and strategic".
"Politicians may afford to make political gestures, but diplomats must not be throwing around decorations; they must overcome the crisis. Incidentally, this crisis goes beyond the scope of bilateral relations, because during my time in office, Poland became – and must continue to be – our main advocate on the path to EU and NATO membership. And now the main priority for Ukrainian diplomacy is to preserve this achievement and strengthen our internal unity in the struggle for ambitious external goals. It was precisely with this in mind that I made my decision," the politician explained.
- As a reminder, the day before, Ukraine’s second president, Leonid Kuchma, declined the Polish Order of the White Eagle, which he had been awarded in 1997. The reason was Warsaw’s decision to strip Ukraine’s current president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, of this honor.
- Later, Ukraine’s third president, Viktor Yushchenko,, announced the same decision.
What happened before that?
Polish President Karol Nawrocki stripped Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the country’s highest honor, the Order of the White Eagle, amid a scandal over the naming of an elite unit of the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces after the Heroes of the UPA.
In response, several Ukrainian officials issued statements:
- Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha declined the Commander's Cross with Star of the Order "For Merit to Poland" in response to Polish President Karol Nawrocki's decision to strip Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Poland's highest honor, the Order of the White Eagle;
- The head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, declined the Order "For Merit to Poland";
- Ukraine's ambassador to Poland, Vasyl Bodnar, also announced that he would return his Polish award following President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's revocation of the Order of the White Eagle.
- On June 20, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded the Order of the White Eagle to Polish President Karol Nawrocki.
