Tusk called the naming of an SOF unit after the "Heroes of the UPA" a "serious problem." Nawrocki wants to strip Zelenskyy of his order

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that the decision of the President of Ukraine to grant a Ukrainian Special Operations Forces unit the name "Heroes of the UPA" causes concern regarding bilateral relations and touches upon historical sensitivities, adding that it "unnecessarily brings the issue of historical differences back to a rather alarming level," writes UNN with reference to PAP.

Context

On Wednesday, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy granted one of the units of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine the name "Heroes of the UPA."

What Tusk Said

Commenting on this decision, the Polish Prime Minister told journalists in the Sejm on Friday that "we have a very serious problem."

"President Zelenskyy's decision, of course, violates our historical sensitivity and, in my opinion, again unnecessarily brings the issue of these historical differences, different interpretations, to such a rather alarming level," said the head of the Polish government.

Tusk added that "every nation has the right to its own interpretations, but President Zelenskyy and our Ukrainian friends must realize what this dark legacy of the UPA means for every Polish woman and man."

The Polish Prime Minister emphasized that the decision of the President of Ukraine "causes concern from the perspective of our relations."

If we quarrel over the past, someone else will win the future. The President of Ukraine must finally understand this. Poland as well. Before it's too late!

What Nawrocki Says

President of Poland Karol Nawrocki stated that he is critical of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy's decision to grant a Ukrainian Special Operations Forces unit the name "Heroes of the UPA," calling it something that gives "oxygen to Russian propaganda."

Nawrocki indicated that he is outraged by the decision of the President of Ukraine, and that "the glorification of the UPA is something that has provided Russian propaganda with a lot of oxygen for disinformation."

"This is also proof that those who said Ukraine should join the European Union without any expectations were very wrong," the Polish president told journalists on Friday.

He also believes that Zelenskyy should be stripped of the Order of the White Eagle and proposed to bring this issue to a meeting of the Chapter of the Order on June 8.

"On June 8, a meeting of the Chapter of the Order of the White Eagle will take place, and I proposed that one of the issues be stripping President Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle," the Polish president stated. He added that the final decision rests with him, but the Chapter must convene.

He also noted that in a strategic sense, supporting Ukraine in its resistance against Russia and against the "bandit that is Vladimir Putin" is a strategic goal for Poland; however, the Polish president emphasized, "this is not how relations between nations are built."

Reaction of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Earlier on Friday, Polish MFA spokesperson Maciej Wiewiór stated that the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs assesses Zelenskyy's decision unequivocally negatively. He also told PAP that Deputy Foreign Minister of Poland Marcin Bosacki had a conversation with the Ambassador of Ukraine to Poland, Vasyl Bodnar, on Thursday. According to Wiewiór, the Deputy Foreign Minister "expressed our disappointment with such a decision by the President of Ukraine regarding the unit's name."

The Order of the White Eagle was presented to Volodymyr Zelenskyy in 2023 by the then President of Poland, Andrzej Duda.