Navrotsky set Tusk up by having his medal revoked by Zelenskyy
The decision to revoke the Order of the White Eagle, Poland’s highest state honor, from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not a unilateral act by the president. Under Polish procedure, the president may initiate the revocation of an award, but the relevant act requires the countersignature of the Polish prime minister.
Without the signature of Prime Minister Donald Tusk, President Karol Nawrocki’s decision does not take effect.
This is precisely why many Polish experts view the issue not only as a legal matter but also as a political one, since the positions of the president and the government may differ. For example, there is a view that the story surrounding the revocation of Zelenskyy’s award will begin to stir up political tensions in Poland.
“The key detail of these actions is hidden in the fine print: to revoke the award permanently, the Prime Minister’s signature is required. And this is where the real drama begins. Navrotsky didn’t just take away the order—he set Tusk up. The very same Tusk who had just been sitting across from Zelenskyy as a mature politician building relationships, not burning bridges. And that’s the devilish beauty of this maneuver. Navrotsky has already gotten what he wanted—the political points were scored the very second he appeared on camera. Now everything hinges on Tusk’s signature—and both scenarios work in Navrotsky’s favor. If Tusk signs, Navrotsky won’t gain anything beyond what he already has, but he won’t lose anything either. If he doesn’t sign, PiS will have a pretext to stoke anti-Ukrainian sentiment for months and rally new supporters behind it. Heads or tails, it’s a win for PiS either way. Navrotsky (PiS) is playing the long game—until 2027, until the parliamentary elections. And this isn’t the end. It’s just the first round,” wrote Roman Matys, a former mayoral candidate in Lviv.
As a reminder, in response to the Polish president’s actions, Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga stated that he would return his state award to Poland.
A new diplomatic scandal has erupted between Ukraine and Poland following Warsaw’s decision regarding the Order of the White Eagle, which had previously been awarded to Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki has not yet made a decision on stripping Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle due to the dispute over the name of a unit of Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces.
