Diplomatic — 2026-06-22
Dispute Over WWII Army Unit Threatens to Divide Poland and Ukraine
BLUFKyiv's preemptive return of Polish decorations has locked both sides into a public escalation that very likely ends in formal revocation before late July, compressing diplomatic space at a moment Moscow can exploit.
On May 26, Zelenskyy signed a decree naming a Ukrainian military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), which Poland holds responsible for the
Analysis
Zelenskyy's mass return of Polish decorations has moved the dispute into open contest and stripped Nawrocki of any remaining incentive to hold back. Nawrocki's revocation of the Order of the White Eagle isvery likely before July 22. Moderate confidence in that assessment rests on the Nawrocki-Tusk rivalry as an active variable: Tusk's push for direct talks could produce a procedural delay, not an exit. The revocation may instead be primarily a domestic play, with the PiS-aligned president weaponizing UPA symbolism to outflank Tusk on patriotism ahead of 2027 parliamentary elections. Ukraine's escalatory reciprocation amplified that advantage rather than blunting it. If revocation executes, EU and NATO partners face the question of whether bilateral security frameworks can hold while the relationship is formally degraded.
Zelenskyy's mass return of Polish decorations has moved the dispute into open contest and stripped Nawrocki of any remaining incentive to hold back. Nawrocki's revocation of the Order of the White Eagle is
5 sources
- History haunting Ukraine-Poland relations, again -
Kyiv Independent - Ukraine's WWII Unit Renaming Strains Relations With Poland -
Bloomberg - Zelenskyy and top Ukrainian officials return Polish awards in WWII dispute -
Al Jazeera - Polish president strips Zelenskyy of honor over naming of army unit after notorious WWII group -
The Washington Post - Ukraine war briefing: Dispute over second world war army unit threatens to divide Poland and Ukraine -
The Guardian