Zvarych, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Poland, has declined Polish honour in protest
The Ukrainian Ambassador to the Czech Republic and former Ukrainian Ambassador to Poland (2022–24), Vasyl Zvarych, has declined the Polish Order of the Commander’s Cross with Star ‘For Merit’.
He announced his decision on Facebook, according to Censor.NET.
Zvarych declines the award
The diplomat recalled that in July 2024, in his capacity as Ukraine’s ambassador, he had the honour of receiving a high state honour – the Order of the Commander’s Cross with Star ‘For Merit’ – from the President of the Republic of Poland, Andrzej Duda.
"My commitment to the interests of the Ukrainian state, the honour and dignity of the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, my fellow diplomats and the free and indomitable Ukrainian people, as well as my deep sense of justice, compel me to decline the state honour awarded by the Republic of Poland," he said.
The ambassador stated that he was sorry to have to say, "but it is clear that some members of the Polish political elite have still not understood – or perhaps have not wanted to understand – the true cost of Ukraine’s freedom, who the Ukrainians are, and against which enemy and for which values the Ukrainian people are fighting and shedding blood today".
"Similarly, they have failed to realise that it is hard to find a people today who are more committed to friendship and partnership with Poland than the Ukrainians, who will always be grateful to the Poles for opening their hearts and homes in the face of Russian aggression. And this is a great new chapter in history that we are writing together. Unfortunately, political self-interest blinds people, preventing them from seeing the achievements of previous decades, the realities of the present, and from building the future," the statement said.
According to Zvarych, he viewed the decision by the Polish leader Karol Nawrocki to strip Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Poland’s highest state honour on the grounds that one of the units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, at the request of the Ukrainian military, had been given an honorary name in honour of the Heroes of the UPA.
"I consider this reaction to be, at the very least, disproportionate and irresponsible," said the diplomat.
In his view, Navrotsky has in effect called into question decades of painstaking work aimed at Ukrainian-Polish reconciliation and mutual understanding. And this is particularly regrettable, as the reconciliation process was initiated not by politicians, but by people who had personally lived through the most tragic chapters of our shared history.
In his statement, Zvarych also emphasised that Ukrainians do not deny the crimes committed by members of the Ukrainian underground against the Polish civilian population, and pay due respect to the innocent Polish victims; indeed, even amidst the current Russian war, they have paved the way for exhumations and their dignified reburial.
"But nor can we remain silent about the crimes committed against Ukrainians by Polish military personnel and underground groups — in Sahryn, Pavlokom, Piskorovychi and many other places," he emphasised.
The diplomat noted that Polish society and the Polish state must also be prepared to engage in an honest discussion about the crimes committed against the Ukrainian civilian population, pointing out that genuine reconciliation is impossible without acknowledging the suffering of both nations.
He pointed out that, despite everything, Ukraine has never questioned Poland’s right to honour its national heroes, military units and figures from the liberation movement, even when some of them are linked to chapters of history which Ukrainians associate with the deaths of thousands of innocent people.
"We are not calling for the removal of monuments, the renaming of streets or a review of the state’s stance on Polish military formations, historical figures or events. Our position has always been, and continues to be, that every sovereign state has the right to determine its own policy on historical memory and to honour those it considers to be fighters for its independence and statehood. That is precisely why we expect the same respect for Ukraine’s sovereign right to honour those who fought for the Ukrainian state and resisted the Russian-Communist and Nazi occupations," he said.
Zvarych is convinced that today, when Ukrainian soldiers are laying down their lives every day in the fight against Russian aggression, any attempts to question Ukraine’s right to honour those who fought for Ukrainian statehood throughout history do not contribute to reconciliation, but rather represent a step towards further division.
"That is precisely why my decision to decline the state award of the Republic of Poland is not a gesture of disrespect towards the Polish people, my Polish friends, or those people in Poland who have worked for many years to foster Ukrainian-Polish understanding. On the contrary — it is a protest against the destruction of the legacy of Ukrainian-Polish reconciliation, which has been built up over decades by people of good will on both sides of the border. I continue to believe that Ukrainians and Poles will remain allies. But an alliance can only be strong if it is based on mutual respect, equality and recognition of each nation’s right to its own memory, its own dignity and its own heroes," the diplomat added.
What led up to it?
Polish President Karol Nawrocki has stripped Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the country’s highest honour, 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:
- The Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, has declined the Commander’s Cross with Star of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland in response to the decision by the President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, to strip Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Poland’s highest honour, the Order of the White Eagle;
- The Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, declined the Order of Merit of Poland;
- Ukraine’s Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bodnar also announced that he would return his Polish honour following the stripping of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle.
- On 20 June, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded the Order of the White Eagle to the President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki.
- The second President of Ukraine, Leonid Kuchma, the third President of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko, and the fifth President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko also announced that they were declining the Polish Order of the White Eagle.
