Polish politicians returning state awards to Ukraine en masse
This was reported by the Polish publication Do Rzeczy.
Today, three politicians from the Polish Law and Justice party announced their desire to renounce their Ukrainian awards. Former Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak, former Speaker of the Sejm Marek Kuchczyński, and former Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau announced their intention to return the Order of Merit to Kyiv.
In a joint statement, the three politicians emphasized that the return of the awards is motivated by historical issues, respect for the victims of the Volyn massacre, and current tensions in political relations with Ukraine.
Law and Justice MEP Adam Bielan also announced that he would return his Order of Merit to Kyiv. "This is an expression of solidarity with the decision of President Karol Nawrocki and a firm stand against the shameful policies of the Ukrainian authorities. These are not actions against the Ukrainian people," the politician wrote.
A day earlier, Polish opposition leader and Law and Justice Party leader Jarosław Kaczyński announced his relinquishment of the Ukrainian Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, which he received in 2022. "This will express my attitude not so much toward Ukrainians as toward the Ukrainian elites," Kaczyński noted.
On June 23, Deputy Speaker of the Polish Senate Michał Kamiński also announced his decision to return the two awards to Kyiv in protest against the glorification of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). Kaminsky noted that he could no longer retain these awards, as "the Ukrainian authorities and a significant portion of Kyiv's political elite have still not unequivocally condemned the perpetrators of the Volyn tragedy and the mass murder of Polish citizens."
In May of this year, Volodymyr Zelensky named a Ukrainian Armed Forces unit in honor of the UPA. Following this, Polish President Karol Nawrocki stripped Zelensky of the Order of the White Eagle. Warsaw emphasizes that the UPA is responsible for the genocide of over 100,000 Poles in Volyn. Zelensky, for his part, demonstratively returned the award to Poland by mail.
According to an IBRiS poll, after Zelensky was stripped of the Order of the White Eagle, Nawrocki's trust rating among Poles rose sharply. Another recent study showed that 58.3% of Poles surveyed believe Zelensky has a negative attitude toward Poland.