Order of White Eagle, which Zelenskyy returned by post, has already been received. It will be placed in safekeeping, - Nawrocki’s spokesperson
Rafal Leskiewicz, the spokesperson for the President of Poland, has stated that the Order of the White Eagle, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sent via "Nova Poshta", has now been received.
This was reported by Polsat News, according to Censor.NET.
The Order has already been received
"Indeed, the order has been returned. We received it today at the President’s Office," said Nawrocki’s spokesperson.
The future of the award
Leskiewicz explained that the returned award "will be sent to the Bureau of Awards and Appointments for safekeeping".
"It will be placed in storage, where it will be kept with dignity and respect, as this is the highest and most important Polish state honour. It will not be awarded to anyone else. The certificate is no longer valid, so the order, together with the certificate, will be placed in storage at the President’s Office," said the Polish President’s spokesperson.
Leskiewicz was also asked whether the conflict between Poland and Ukraine could escalate further.
"I don’t think so. After all, President Karol Nawrocki clearly stated in his statement, published by the President’s Office on Friday, that the revocation of the Order of the White Eagle is not directed against Ukrainians, and that in fact Russia is the enemy of Ukraine, of all of free Europe and the free world. However, in this symbolic context, we could not ignore the fact that the President of Ukraine is naming one of his military units after criminals, the so-called ‘heroes’ of the UPA," said Nawrocki’s spokesperson.
What led up to this?
Polish President Karol Nawrocki 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:
- Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha declined the Commander’s Cross with Star of the Order ‘For Merit to Poland’ in response to the decision by Polish President 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 "For Merit to Poland";
- Vasyl Bodnar, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Poland, also announced that he was returning his Polish award following the stripping of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle.
- On 20 June, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sent the Order of the White Eagle to Polish President 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.
