Andriy Sybiha refused a Polish award due to the deprivation of Volodymyr Zelenskyy's order
Sybiha believes that stripping Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle benefits only Russia
Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha stated that he considers the Polish side's decision to deprive Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle a strategic mistake that benefits only Russia. On Friday, June 19, he announced that in response, he is refusing the award of the Commander's Cross with Star of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.
Sybiha expressed regret that emotions prevailed in Warsaw and led to, in his opinion, impulsive decisions that affect not only President Zelenskyy but also Ukraine. The minister noted that he sees no possibility of keeping the Polish state award received in October 2022 – the Commander's Cross with Star of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland – and will soon return it.
In his post, Sybiha also emphasized that Ukraine has always advocated for mutual respect between states, even in complex historical issues.
"This implies that we respect each other's decisions even when we disagree with them. 'Agree to disagree,' as they say. We never wanted this conflict. Instead, for a year and a half, we actively worked to resolve contradictions, depoliticize historical issues, unblock professional, scientific work, search and exhumation work, and reburials at the request of the Polish side, and restore the activities of the Congress of Historians. We have achieved a lot along this path. Right now, search work is underway in Huta Pieniacka, as requested by the Poles," the minister wrote.
In his opinion, the current escalation is counterproductive and does not serve the interests of either Ukraine or Poland. Therefore, Sybiha expressed hope for a return to constructive dialogue between Kyiv and Warsaw.
"No president of another country will dictate our history to us. We hope that in time, cool heads will prevail and our Polish friends will return to an equal dialogue that corresponds to the allied relations between our countries in the face of a common enemy in Moscow," he added.
Recall that on May 27, Volodymyr Zelenskyy granted the name of the Heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army to the Separate Special Operations Center "North" of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. After this, a number of Polish politicians, including President Karol Nawrocki, sharply criticized this decision, viewing it as an insult to Poland.
On June 1, Polish media reported that due to Zelenskyy's decision, the Ukrainian flag was removed from the city hall building in Lublin. The Lublin City Council stated that the naming decision "hurts the memory of Polish victims and hinders the development of sincere dialogue."
On Friday, June 19, Polish President Karol Nawrocki announced the decision to strip Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle, the country's highest state award.
