Vasyl Bodnar, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Poland, announced his intention to return a Polish honour following the Polish President’s decision to strip Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle. This decision caused a widespread public outcry.
- Vasyl Bodnar is returning his award following Zelenskyy’s being stripped of his order.
- Polish President Navrotsky has stripped Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle.
- Bodnar considers the decision to be unfair in the context of the war with Russia.
- The diplomat emphasised the importance of maintaining strategic relations with Poland.
Why is Bodnar returning the award?
Ukrainian Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bodnar announced his intention to return the Polish award he had received following the Polish President’s decision Karol Navrotsky to deprive Vladimir Zelensky Order of the White Eagle. On their page at Facebook The diplomat noted that he could not remain indifferent to such a decision, which, in his view, is unfair.
“In the context of the war, amidst rocket and drone attacks, this decision is perceived as particularly painful and emotional, as a gesture towards the entire Ukrainian people,” wrote Bodnar.
He emphasised that Poland remains a friend, ally and partner to Ukraine. Bodnar also highlighted the shared interests of both countries in the areas of security, defence, reconstruction and European integration. According to him, significant progress has been made over the past year and a half thanks to constructive dialogue.
Reaction to Poland’s decision
The President of Poland has stripped Zelenskyy of the country’s highest honour due to the awarding of the honour to one of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ special forces units honorary title “Heroes of the UPA”. This move sparked outrage not only in Ukraine but also amongst international observers.
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andriy Sibiga He also announced his intention to return his award – the Commander’s Cross with Star of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland. The Head of the President’s Office Kirill Budanov confirmed, who also declined the Gold Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.
Bodnar called for the dialogue between Kyiv and Warsaw to continue, stressing that only Russia stands to gain from conflicts. “We must preserve the strategic nature of our relations,” he said, emphasising the importance of cooperation in difficult times.
