Navrotsky was looking to stir up a major political scandal, — Kuleba
It is in the interests of both Poland and Ukraine to resolve the current escalation as quickly as possible.
According to him, the actions of Polish President Karol Nawrocki are creating political tension and setting a negative tone for Ukrainians.
“Navrotsky is doing everything he can to make life difficult for Ukrainians both in Poland and in Ukraine,” Kuleba noted.
He added that the Polish president found himself in a situation with limited political maneuvering room, since after making such high-profile statements, he could not afford to appear weak.
“If he hadn’t done this, he would have been accused of weakness,” the former minister explained, commenting on the decision to revoke the award.
According to Kuleba, Navrotsky chose not a diplomatic approach but a confrontational public scenario designed to appeal to domestic voters.
“Navrotskyi needed a political scandal that the average voter could understand… That’s what Navrotskyi was looking for,” he said.
At the same time, the former minister noted that similar constraints on maneuverability exist for the Ukrainian side as well, particularly in the context of historical decisions and symbolic gestures.
According to him, the situation between Kyiv and Warsaw shows signs of a diplomatic escalation similar to previous international crises, which were subsequently resolved.
Kuleba expressed his conviction that the conflict between Ukraine and Poland will be resolved, as both countries share common strategic interests.
He cited regional security and Ukraine’s membership in the European Union as key priorities, emphasizing that if Ukraine were to lose the war, the risks for Poland would increase.
This was stated by former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga announced that a decision on Ukraine’s participation in the Conference on Ukraine’s Recovery, to be held on June 25–26 in Gdańsk, will be made in the near future.
Ukraine calls on Poland to make measured decisions and engage in diplomatic dialogue amid a new escalation in bilateral relations.
The third President of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko, emphasized that in relations between Ukraine and Poland, it is important to uphold the political formula of “we forgive and ask for forgiveness.”
Former Polish Sejm deputy Piotr Fogler returned his state award—the “Golden Cross of Merit”—to the president as a sign of protest and solidarity with Ukraine.
Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman announced that he had returned the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland, which he received in 2011 for promoting regional cooperation between Ukrainian and Polish cities.
On June 20, former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko also announced that he was renouncing his Polish state order, emphasizing that this step was not directed against the Polish people; at the same time, he also made some critical remarks about incumbent President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Earlier, Zelenskyy had sent Navrotsky the Order of the White Eagle via Nova Poshta.
Following this, Leonid Kuchma declined the Polish Order of the White Eagle.
Ukraine’s third president, Viktor Yushchenko, also declined the Polish Order of the White Eagle.
In addition, Borys Tarasyuk will return his Polish order due to Navrotsky’s policies.
