Poland's finance minister criticized the decision to strip Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle
Polish Minister of Finance and Economy Andrzej Domanski noted that Polish President Karol Nawrocki’s decision to strip Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle was made at an inopportune moment and could weaken Poland’s international standing.
He called the decision a “very serious mistake” and emphasized its negative international repercussions.
“I believe this decision is a very serious mistake on the part of the president. This decision weakens Poland’s international standing. It will also have certain consequences and economic repercussions. This is a decision that Russia welcomes,” Domanski said.
According to him, the decision was made just a few days before the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdańsk, which could complicate the diplomatic context of the event.
The minister emphasized that it will be difficult to explain such actions to Poland’s international partners against the backdrop of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
“We must de-escalate tensions, seek common ground, and avoid making decisions that please our common enemy, which is undoubtedly Russia,” he said.
Domanski also noted that the president’s decision could negatively impact the Ukraine Recovery Conference, scheduled for June 25–26 in Gdańsk.
Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister for National Defense, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, expressed a similar position, emphasizing that an escalation of tensions between Poland and Ukraine benefits Russia.
“Many Poles are now wondering what our relations with Ukraine will look like. Some are doing so as people who have supported our neighbor since the start of the war and believe that this is the right thing to do. Surely, those who claim that aid is unnecessary and that all Ukrainians should return home are also doing so. There is no doubt that things are heading in a very bad direction. The escalation of tensions among allies only plays into the enemy’s hands,” he wrote.
This was stated by Polish Minister of Finance and Economy Andrzej Domanski during an appearance on TVN24.
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 is calling 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.
