Former Polish President Andrzej Duda has spoken out for the first time regarding the possible stripping of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle. He stated that the award was presented under different circumstances, and the situation has now changed. This was reported by Onet, according to UNN.
Details
Commenting on the initiative of Polish President Karol Nawrocki regarding the revocation of Zelenskyy's award, Duda replied in writing: "Volodymyr Zelenskyy received the Order of the White Eagle at a different time and under different conditions. Now they have changed, as has the behavior of Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Definitely."
According to the former president, the final decision regarding the award rests with the current head of state.
Today, given the recent facts, the decision lies with President Nawrocki. Of course, the president will listen to the opinion of the Chapter and will certainly take all circumstances and facts into account when making a decision
The question of potentially stripping Zelenskyy of Poland's highest award arose following criticism from Polish politicians over the assignment of the honorary title "Heroes of the UPA" to one of the brigades of the Special Operations Forces of Ukraine.
Duda presented the Order of the White Eagle to Zelenskyy in the spring of 2023 for his contribution to the development of Polish-Ukrainian relations.
Former Polish Ambassador to Ukraine returns award from Zelenskyy over UPA decision01.06.26, 23:42