Ukraine’s third president, Viktor Yushchenko, has returned his Order of the White Eagle, a high Polish honor, in protest against Polish President Karol Nawrocki’s decision to strip President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the same award. Yushchenko emphasized that his action was not an act of hostility but a gesture of unity with Ukraine’s leadership and armed forces during a critical time.

The dispute stems from Ukraine naming a military unit after the Heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, which Poland views as controversial due to historical conflicts between Polish and Ukrainian nationalist groups. In response, Nawrocki revoked Zelenskyy’s honor on June 19, 2026, calling it a response to crossing Poland’s 'pain threshold.' Zelenskyy returned the order by mail the following day.

Yushchenko defended Ukraine’s sovereign right to honor its own national heroes, stressing that reconciliation between the two nations—formalized in 2003 with a mutual forgiveness declaration—should not be undone by political gestures. He described Nawrocki’s decision as 'unquestionably irresponsible' and warned against distorting historical memory. Former presidents Leonid Kuchma and Petro Poroshenko have also renounced the Polish honor in solidarity.