The Office of the President of Poland explained why Mussolini and Catherine II still hold the Order of the White Eagle
The Office of the President of Poland, represented by Karol Nawrocki, commented on allegations that the country’s highest state award—the Order of the White Eagle—allegedly remains with a number of controversial historical figures, despite the decision regarding Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The official emphasized that the Order of the White Eagle is not revoked posthumously.
“The first two (Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and Russian Empress Catherine II) have long since passed away, and Poland does not revoke the order posthumously. And the former German chancellor never insulted the Polish nation as openly as the Ukrainian president has, although his work on behalf of Putin’s Russia truly deserves condemnation as something that harms Poland and Europe,” stated Agnieszka Jędżak.
The commentary also mentions former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, who has been criticized in Poland for his ties to Russian entities.
“During Schröder’s tenure in Germany, no monuments were erected to Hitler or Himmler, and no Bundeswehr unit was named after ‘SS heroes,’” added Jendzak.
She also stated that Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not express concern about the historical figures’ possession of the order when he received the award.
“And he’s adding insult to injury by returning it via mail,” she noted.
The Office of the President of Poland stated that the decision to revoke the award was linked to the Ukrainian president’s public statements.
“At the root of the issue is the fact that the Ukrainian leader deliberately insulted people who, over the past four years, have proven themselves to be Ukraine’s best friends. It is not right to honor the murderers of the ancestors of those who helped you when it was a matter of life and death,” emphasized Agnieszka Jędżak.
She added that Karol Nawrocki “revoked the award but did not withdraw his outstretched hand.”
“We support Ukraine, but we will not allow ourselves to be insulted,” she concluded.
The statement was published by Agnieszka Jędżak, Minister of the Chancellery of the President of Poland.
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 maintain 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 Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Zvarych announced that he was renouncing the “Commander’s Cross with Star ‘For Merit’” order, which he had received from Polish President Andrzej Duda in 2024.
