The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he has returned the Order of the White Eagle, the country's highest state award, to the President of Poland, which he was awarded in 2023.
Zelensky published the corresponding statement on the X social network against the background of the decision of the Polish authorities to deprive him of the award. The leader of Ukraine emphasized that he perceived the awarding of the medal as a sign of recognition of the merits of the entire Ukrainian people and army in resisting Russian aggression.
"We thought that in 2023 the Order of the White Eagle was given to the Ukrainian people and our army. That's how it was said at that time. Today I sent that medal back to the President of Poland," Zelensky wrote.
At the same time, the President of Ukraine thanked the Polish people for their support and said that Kyiv remains open to cooperation with Warsaw, despite differences on historical issues. According to him, Ukraine will continue to work towards maintaining partnership relations with Poland and will strive for a respectful dialogue on the complex pages of the common history.
Zelensky also expressed confidence that "the future will establish respect for Ukrainians" and noted that Ukraine will continue the struggle for a just peace and security in Europe.
