Ukraine did not seek escalation in relations with Poland, we will mirror all steps, - Sybiha
Ukraine did not seek to create such tensions in its bilateral relations with Poland.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said this during the "Yedyni Novyny" telethon, according to Censor.NET.
What does Sibiga say?
"We have always taken a constructive approach, valued our relationship with Poland, and been grateful for the assistance we received," he said.
"It is very important right now not to politicize sensitive issues from the historical past. Yes, there were difficult chapters, but let historians discuss them... Disrespect for the President of Ukraine is not just about medals. It is about disrespect for Ukrainian soldiers, for the Ukrainian people, and for our right to have a history. We will not tolerate this," added Sybiha.
He also stressed that no president of another country will ever again dictate our history to us.
"We will mirror every move, especially if those moves are unfriendly or disrespectful toward our country. The time for turning a blind eye is over...Nawrocki has acted as a destroyer of the positive progress we have made recently. It’s no wonder he’s receiving applause from Moscow," the Ukrainian minister concluded.
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, a number of 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.
