Poroshenko, the last living president of Ukraine, declined a Polish order of merit
On June 20, former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko also announced that he was declining a Polish state order, emphasizing that this move was not directed against the Polish people; at the same time, he also made some critical remarks about incumbent President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Petro Poroshenko, a member of parliament and the fifth president of Ukraine, announced his refusal of the Polish Order of the White Eagle in protest against Polish President Karol Nawrocki’s decision to review the awarding of the order to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Poroshenko emphasized that the awarding of the Order of the White Eagle was not intended for individual politicians, but for the entire Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian military, who defend not only Ukraine but also the security of Europe.
“In both Zelenskyy’s case and mine, the award was not given to heads of state, but to Ukrainians—our soldiers who are defending Ukraine, Poland, and all of Europe. That is why I have decided to decline the Order of the White Eagle,” he said.
The politician noted that over the past few weeks he had tried to convince the Polish side not to make such a decision, but these efforts were unsuccessful.
At the same time, while explaining his decision, Poroshenko did not shy away from the topic of sanctions imposed against him by the Ukrainian authorities. The politician recalled that he had previously been stripped of his Ukrainian state awards, calling that decision “illegal” and “unconstitutional.”
“Despite the fact that, as a result of an illegal and unconstitutional decision by the Ukrainian authorities, I have been stripped of all state awards through these sanctions, I have decided to renounce the Order of the White Eagle,” Poroshenko stated.
The former president also emphasized that his move is not directed against the Polish people and does not change his attitude toward the Ukrainian-Polish partnership.
“This is my gesture in response to the decision of the President of Poland. But this step is in no way directed at the Polish people! My gratitude to Poland for supporting Ukraine and Ukrainians during difficult times remains unchanged. My deep conviction in the strategic value of the Ukrainian-Polish partnership remains unchanged,” he emphasized.
Poroshenko also endorsed the statements by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski regarding the danger of escalating historical disputes between the two countries.
“If we quarrel over the past, someone else will win the future,” he quoted Tusk as saying. The politician also agreed with Sikorski’s assessment that “only Moscow can emerge victorious in the war over history and medals.”
According to Poroshenko, the Kremlin is interested in weakening Ukrainian-Polish unity and is using historical disputes to worsen relations between the countries.
“The Kremlin always applauds anything that weakens the unity between Ukraine and Poland,” he noted, drawing attention to the positive reaction of Russian politicians to the Polish side’s decision.
Separately, Poroshenko emphasized the importance of preserving the strategic partnership between Kyiv and Warsaw amid the war. According to him, any crisis in bilateral relations today has not only a diplomatic but also a security dimension.
“For us, Rzeszów is not just a Polish city. It is one of the symbols of international solidarity with Ukraine. Therefore, any crisis between Kyiv and Warsaw today is not just a diplomatic issue. It is a matter of security,” he stated.
Poroshenko called on the Ukrainian and Polish sides to begin seeking solutions in the near future to overcome the current tensions and move toward a new phase of cooperation.
“Today, it is important not to deepen the conflict, but to bring it to an end. Politicians can afford to make political gestures, but diplomats should not be throwing around medals—they should be resolving the crisis,” the politician concluded on Facebook.
Earlier, Zelenskyy 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 actions.
