Ukraine's fifth president also renounces Order of the White Eagle

Jun 21, 2026 - 06:11

Petro Poroshenko, Ukraine's fifth president, has also renounced the Order of the White Eagle following Polish President Karol Nawrocki's decision to strip his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the award.

Source: Poroshenko on Facebook

Quote: "In both Zelenskyy's case and mine, the award was not bestowed on heads of state, but on Ukrainians – our soldiers who defend Ukraine, Poland and all of Europe.

Therefore, I have decided to renounce the Order of the White Eagle. Two weeks ago, I promised colleagues at the conciliation council that I would take this step if we failed to persuade President Nawrocki not to make this mistaken decision. Unfortunately, we did not succeed."

Details: Poroshenko said that renouncing the order was his response to the Polish president's decision, but stressed that the step was in no way directed against the Polish people.

Quote: "Those in Poland who do not simply chew over historical myths, but study history and draw conclusions from its lessons, know that whenever Ukraine loses its independence, Poland loses it too. But it is not the past that should define our relations. I do not want Poles editing our textbooks, and I have no desire whatsoever for Ukrainians to edit Polish textbooks, because otherwise we will receive a joint textbook from Moscow."

Details: The former president stressed that logistics are critically important in the Russia-Ukraine war. Russia, he said, "through its agents of influence, useful idiots and old historical wounds, is trying to destroy our logistics in the West".

"Therefore, any crisis between Kyiv and Warsaw today is not only a diplomatic problem. It is a security issue. And that is precisely why it must be resolved immediately. What matters now is not deepening the conflict, but ending it," Poroshenko stressed.

He proposed that "starting on Monday, we should look for solutions that will not deepen the current crisis, but turn it into an impetus for a new stage of Ukrainian-Polish partnership – honest, friendly and strategic".

"Politicians may allow themselves political gestures, but diplomats should not be throwing orders around – they should be overcoming the crisis," Poroshenko added.

Previously: On 20 June, Ukraine's second president, Leonid Kuchma, renounced the Order of the White Eagle.

Later, Ukraine's third president, Viktor Yushchenko, said he will do the same.

Background:

On the evening of 19 June, Nawrocki took the decision to strip Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle in connection with the naming of a Ukrainian military unit after the Heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army. He said Poland would not allow EU accession for those who do not understand the need to renounce the "cult of totalitarianism and violence".
Following this, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Ukrainian Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bodnar, and Head of the President's Office Kyrylo Budanov announced that they would be returning the Polish state awards they had received.
On 20 June, Zelenskyy said he had sent the order back to Nawrocki by post.
On 20 June, Nawrocki explained that he had stripped Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle because Zelenskyy had crossed the Poles' "pain threshold".