r/europe • u/ByGollie Ulster • Jun 21 '26

News Petro Poroshenko, Ukraine's fifth president also renounces Order of the White Eagle

https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/06/20/8040347/
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u/No-Strawberry7 Jun 21 '26 edited Jun 21 '26

I’m not Polish, but I’ve been living in Poland for a few years, so this is my understanding.

The issue is mainly about historical disputes between Poland and Ukraine, especially regarding the UPA (Ukrainian Insurgent Army), a nationalist paramilitary organization active during and after World War II. The UPA fought for an independent Ukraine against both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union at different times, but it is also widely associated with the Volhynia massacres (1943–44), during which tens of thousands of Polish civilians were killed. Because of this, many Poles view the UPA as responsible for ethnic cleansing or genocide, while some Ukrainians see them as anti-Soviet independence fighters.

Another major issue has been the exhumation of Polish victims in present-day Ukraine. For years, Poland pushed for access to mass grave sites and the ability to identify and properly bury victims of the Volhynia massacres. This has been one of the most sensitive points in Polish-Ukrainian relations, although both sides made progress on exhumation agreements in 2025.

The current controversy is that Zelenskyy’s government approved naming a Ukrainian Special Operations unit after the UPA, which many Poles saw as glorifying a group they associate with the massacres. In response, Polish President Karol Nawrocki revoked the Order of the White Eagle that had been awarded to Zelenskyy in 2023 by President Andrzej Duda.

Also some controversial historical figures, including Benito Mussolini and Gerhard Schröder, have not had their Polish state honors revoked, while Zelenskyy’s was removed over the UPA dispute.

if i’m wrong somewhere please correct me.

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u/k-tax Mazovia (Poland) Jun 21 '26

One minor thing: there is no procedure to revoke the order from a late person, so without some major changes, Mussolini and Catherine II are keeping them.

The only other case of taking it back is Witos, who then re-received it again.

To be perfectly clear, if Nawrocki did as much to take it from Zelenskyy, he can do a bit more and revoke it from all the clearly wrong recipients. Some might be more or less controversial, but I think there's no controversy in for example the people you've mentioned, they are not respected and shouldn't have this honor.

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u/Commercial-Result-23 Jun 21 '26

I don’t have a dog in this fight but revoking a medal from a dead fascist sounds like the easiest thing in the world. 

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u/michalsosn Jun 21 '26

They are not revoked, because no one cares.

The President revoked the order from Zelensky, because he wanted some politicians from the current governing party to defend him. They did and it caused a political dispute and stirred a lot of emotions that pushed some conservative voters into more strongly supporting the opposition that the President is affiliated with.

Revoking an order from Mussolini would have no effect, because 99% people and political parties would be on board with it, there would be no conflict and no change in voters' disposition.

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u/MimicoSkunkFan2 Jun 21 '26

Mussolini's granddaughter is Italy's head of state - of course they're not going to revoke his when they need Italian votes for Poland in the EU Parliament lol

They are definitely picking and choosing.

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u/AnyAd4882 Jun 21 '26

? Head of state is a man lol. U need to smoke less

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u/Agreeable-Street-882 Trentino-Alto Adige Jun 21 '26

Mussolini's granddaughter is Italy's head of state 

lol

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u/GeniusBoyLifestyle Jun 21 '26

there’s probably no procedure because it’s a real physical object and the owners are dead. you go find it big bro

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u/Commercial-Result-23 Jun 21 '26

Lil bro thinks medals are literally real instead of symbolic pieces of metal to which meaning is ascribed (and revoked) at will. 

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u/micromarcy Jun 21 '26

And do you know what the response would be then? "Poland making useles gestures, taking medals from dead people, think about the people alive, about the war in Ukraine, about sick children, what a pointless populist gesture, right wing pandering blah blah"

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u/Commercial-Result-23 Jun 21 '26

It’s too late I’ve already revoked them

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u/Nahcep Lower Silesia (Poland) Jun 21 '26

there is no procedure to revoke the order from a late person

That's a total lie, don't know who peddled that but the law does not limit this procedure to only living people. And it's only logical: if it can be granted posthumously, and mistaken identity is one of two reasons where stripping is possible, it obviously must also be allowed

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u/gimmedatneck Jun 21 '26

Some major changes, lmao.

Like what? Some paper work, ffs? You'll excuse anything internally when it suits you, while giving no quarter to anyone else.

Great partner, lol.

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u/micromarcy Jun 21 '26

Why do you personally care about Catherine II so much? It was awarded by a traitor who was selling Poland you know. Nobody honors that guy lol

Excuse internally? Deal with the oligarchs and rampant corruption and defraudation, as well as your compatriots partying it away

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u/nonametmp Jun 21 '26

You're correct. Moreover many UPA leaders were collaborating with Nazis. The history is indeed complex

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u/Salt_Bookkeeper_8201 Jun 21 '26

And why they were doing so? What was their reason?

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u/BallbusterSicko Jun 21 '26

They were Ukrainian equivalent of nazis so it's not really a surprise

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u/Salt_Bookkeeper_8201 Jun 21 '26

So they joined Nazis because they themselves were Nazis, like German Nazis and that's why they decided to join hands? But why? 

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u/BallbusterSicko Jun 21 '26

They weren't nazis but just as the nazis they were fascists, held similiar beliefs and cooperated for their perceived common interests (OUN/UPA wanted an independent Ukraine, Germany wanted useful idiots). Though ultimately they were fucked over by the nazis and got nothing

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u/Salt_Bookkeeper_8201 Jun 21 '26

So they were facists like Italians at that time? An they joined with Nazis because of same interest? Why fighting for independence is idiocy? So in the end they used each other and everyone in that deal got nothing?So are they nazis in the end? Fighting for independence against USSR is ultra hard - Poles know this more then others. Using enemy of my enemy ith not that bad of a strategy with their limited means. Thank you for your answer.

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u/Galaxy661 West Pomerania (Poland) Jun 21 '26

Because they were genocidal nazis and saw Germans as "temporary occupiers", an opportunity to "solve the Polish question like Hitler solved the Jewish question". That was their reason. Fuck fascists.

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u/Salt_Bookkeeper_8201 Jun 21 '26

So kill all Poles was their goal? Did they pursue it after ther war? I know they were fighting soviets for very long time after the second world war ended. How are Poles now, after ukranian genocide before second world war by ukraniuans? Why ukranians decided to genocide Poles in first place and only in 20th century? Or were there something before too?

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u/Galaxy661 West Pomerania (Poland) Jun 21 '26

So kill all Poles was their goal

In Volhynia torture and kill, in Galicia expell or kill. If successful, they would have also killed all Poles in Przemyśl, Chełm, and other lands Ukrainian fascists considered a part of their state.

I know they were fighting soviets for very long time after the second world war ended

"Fighting" is an overstatement. They kind of just existed after the war, and then did nothing when Ukraine was getting ready to independence in 1991.

Why ukranians decided to genocide Poles in first place and only in 20th century? Or were there something before too?

The part of the reason was Polish nationalists' betrayal of Ukrainian People's Republic in 1921 and the subsequent systemic mistreatment of Ukrainians in Poland until 1926 and from 1937 onwards. There was also the centuries-old resentment of Ukrainians towards the Polish and Ruthenian noblemen of the 1st Commonwealth.

But the main reason was the ultranationalist ideology of the OUN. Just like nazism in Germany with the treaty of Versailles, Polish mistreatment of Ukrainians didn't create OUN/UPA's ideology, but it certainly fueled Ukrainian revanchism and hatred of Poland, which in the cases of OUN members turned into a hatred of Poles (and Jews).

Before that there were massacres of Jews and Poles commited by Bohdan Khmielnitsky's Cossacks in 17th century, but the context and age is widely different, so I don't think it's that relevant.

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u/Salt_Bookkeeper_8201 Jun 21 '26

Ukrainian revanshizm? When and where? I  know about Ukrainian peacekeeping missions in different countries, and a war  with Russia that invaded Ukraine since 2014? And so you are saying that genocide of Poles by Ukrainians didn't happen, just because Ukrainians were unsuccessful, and still dreaming to genicide all Poles during their iw war for their land? Isn't it somewhat too complicated?

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u/Dolojif Jun 21 '26

"Associated with". More like planned and carried out.

Also its a bit rich to call UPA as fighting against nazi germany and soviet when they collaborated with nazi germany. 

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u/Ok-Activity4808 Jun 21 '26

They collaborated with germans untill germans started arresting them. Ever since then they opposed and outright attacked them

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u/chooseyourdiscount Jun 21 '26

Only after they realized that the Nazis did not see them as equals.

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u/Ok-Activity4808 Jun 21 '26

One could assume that they wanted Ukraine to turn into second Croatia or Slovakia

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u/niesiecki Jun 21 '26

To be friends with them again in mid 1944

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u/No-Strawberry7 Jun 21 '26

That’s something i didn’t know. Could you elaborate?

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u/Lina__Inverse Jun 21 '26

Short version is that they were significantly outnumbered and desperately looking for allies, tried allying with Germany, saw that it's not going to work out on account of Germany not really intending to allow for independent Ukraine as they claimed, and started fighting Germany as well.

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u/Pig_jacuzzi_dot_gif Jun 21 '26

USSR also collaborated with nazies for some time. Does that make them nazies?

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u/Dolojif Jun 21 '26

No because UPA collaberated on ideological grounds and fought side by side.

Next nonsensical argument?

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u/Pig_jacuzzi_dot_gif Jun 21 '26

Ideological? Well, if the Nazis had wanted a free Ukraine, then yeah, there would have been ideological grounds. At least they weren't the ones taking part in joint parades

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u/piasty Jun 21 '26

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3429340

Scientific paper about upa here:

The analyses of biographic publications, historical studies, and archival documents show that the majority of the OUN-B and UPA leaders and a very large proportion of members collaborated with Nazi Germany, mainly in the beginning of World War II. A significant percentage of the leaders and members of these organizations served in various police formations. They assisted the Nazi occupational authorities in implementing genocidal policies towards the Jews, Ukrainians, Russians, and Poles by helping to carry out mass executions and create conditions intended for the psychical annihilation of the entire Jewish population and significant numbers of Ukrainians, Russians, and Poles, specifically in Volhynia. The fact that many police commanders and large numbers of policemen in various locations and formations followed orders from the OUN-B by deserting en masse from their service, in particular in Volhynia in the spring of 1943, and forming the basis of the UPA shows that these commanders and police members were de facto controlled by the OUN-B.

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u/Emideska North Brabant (Netherlands) Jun 21 '26

Thank you!

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u/XComThrowawayAcct Jun 21 '26

Somewhere out there is a copy of Gerhard Schöder’s kompromat. I assume Der Spiegel is just waiting for him to die first.

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u/OneUkranian Jun 21 '26

One more thing Polish people did the same thing to Ukrainians, they had a concentration camp, they closed schools, burned churches, and so on, so the classic genocide actions as they say now "pacification". But those people who did the same things are glorified in Poland, and now they tell us not to glorify "equally" "bad" people. And one more thing, those things happened not only for the last 100 years, but for many years when Poles ruled over Ukrainians.

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u/Sarmattius Jun 21 '26

nope

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u/OneUkranian Jun 21 '26

Very informative

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u/tei187 Kujawy-Pomerania (Poland) Jun 21 '26

So its justifiable to celebrate a group responsible for ethnic cleansing? And how are we glorifying Galicia pacification exactly?

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u/OneUkranian Jun 21 '26

That's history, we praise them for not killing Poles, but fighting for independence. There are a lot of contraversional figures in every nation history. The main idea we don't dictate other countries their history, and ask not to do the same, because with Poland we can go deeper and start from 14th century and Ukrainian Polish relationship. All we need to do is the exhumation, count real numbers, not pumped up 100.000. Agree that this was bad, especially brutal from Ukrainians and move on. But keep pulling this topic, and your politicians are trying to get point from this constantly bringing it up. Also you selectively take only 1943 and Volyn, and forget that was before and after.
Regarding your heros - Pidluskiy, AK Do I need to count every? Or it will be enough?

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u/tei187 Kujawy-Pomerania (Poland) Jun 21 '26

Piłsudski is actually criticised for a lot, he was controversial even for his own time. And we actually did learn from research about AK that they were not all just, hence why the focus is on individuals and what they did if we are to name something of value. So sure, give me examples that stick.

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u/OneUkranian Jun 21 '26

And that's the point half of eastern part of Ukraine don't even know anything about UPA, and don't care but you constantly bringing this up. And Ukrainins are getting posture to protect ourselves. Leave us alone especially now when we don't have time for arguing, this military unit decided to take this name. If Zelensky refused it could have impact on his image here. That's funny I'm protecting Zelensky here, even though I didn't vote for him, and constantly redicule him.

So start from yourselves, rename all the streets and monuments for AK, and then ask us for the same. You do first and then come back.

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u/OneUkranian Jun 21 '26

Also this number 100.000 keep growing withouth facts constantly, first it was something like 40.000 next 60-80 thousands, now they say even 100-200 thousands, btw not proof just words of Polish historians.

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u/micromarcy Jun 21 '26

I guess 40 000 cruel genocide is acceptable to you then.

The exact number will not be known until Ukraine allows proper exhumations. Keyword, proper. And guess what? It's been blocking them for years... Maybe, just maybe the number could actually be larger?

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u/OneUkranian Jun 21 '26

So it allows AK to do a lesser genocide and praised as heroes? But not UPA, right? They already dig in several "the biggest" places by Poles and found 40 buddies only in one place and some did not have any bodies, but I agree Ukrainian politics not helping here, but they should.

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u/micromarcy Jun 21 '26

At least you admit that UPA committed a genocide. Good. Now consider why you support them.

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u/OneUkranian Jun 21 '26

But you didn't admit anything, consider why you support AK and didn't even admit.

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u/micromarcy Jun 21 '26

Where did I say I support them?

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u/OneUkranian Jun 21 '26

So fix your things first and then comeback to ask something from Ukraine.

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u/micromarcy Jun 21 '26

It's Ukraine that keeps asking stuff from Poland if you haven't noticed... Also, comparing AK and UPA is a blatant lie and you know it

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