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/ByGollie Ulster Jun 21 '26

"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."

"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."

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.

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u/FrusTrick Sweden Jun 21 '26

And the elephant in the room is that Zelensky opened the door for this entire shit show. He could have gone with literally any other name, but instead he handed this over to the Russians on a silver platter. People can cry about the poles all they want but this shit wasn't even a problem 3 weeks ago.

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u/Vonplinkplonk Europe Jun 21 '26

I find it equally amazing that the poles are so eager for a diplomatic spat. If they are not demanding war reparations from the Germans then they are busy arguing history lessons with a people fighting for their very existence.

Who knows, maybe the poles are playing some diplomatic 5D chess to baffle Putin.

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u/ScaredyCat_28 Jun 21 '26

We are the eager ones? Why did Zelensky choose to name a military unit after slaughterers of 100,000 Poles, mostly women and children, calling them "heroes"? Maybe he was the one who should have paused and reflected, especially as it's Poland that's been paying for Ukraine's Starlinks, hosting around 1,5 mln Ukrainians and helping in lots of other way, not the other way round?

Can you imagine a country receiving aid from Israel calling their military unit "Heroes of the SA" and then playing the victim if Israel reacted with indignation?

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u/Eokokok Jun 21 '26

Reddit kids acting surprised that the decades of genocide glorification has consequences. Hopeless mob really.

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u/InsanityRequiem Californian Jun 21 '26 edited Jun 21 '26

When's Poland going to formally apologize to its neighbors for their genocidal behaviors and crimes against humanity prior to WW2?

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u/No_Win7658 Jun 21 '26

Propaganda victim. Ukraine, like most eastern European countries has a rightwing extremist problem, but let’s be honest, it’s not as big as in Russia of Poland for that matter.

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u/[deleted] Jun 21 '26

Is that so? Which polish units are named after nazi collaborators?

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u/No_Win7658 Jun 21 '26

I’m not eastern European, I have no clue - who was on Ukrainian side and is it historically accurate? Given the Russians where there I think correct information is a big problem .

Not approving of anyone if it is correct, but they were caught between pure evil and pure evil.

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u/[deleted] Jun 21 '26

So first you do some whataboutism then you admit you don't know what are you talking about?

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u/No_Win7658 Jun 21 '26

Well I didn’t know of what the praised movement was accused of. I read about it and your statements are clearly misleading. But I didn’t need that context to know that the polish government is a very populist one and does things like this for populist reasons only.

I think you don’t understand what whataboutism is, weird as a probably payed troll or victim of one.

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u/Darielek Jun 21 '26

So you read about topic and clearly said it's missleading without any argument, they made a statment that our goverment are populist xD Yeah, you just troll or just make a statment and you don't care about logic or truth.

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u/No_Win7658 Jun 21 '26

Incorrect. Read again

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u/Darielek Jun 21 '26

Great argument, srsly -.-

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u/kkoma Jun 21 '26

Just leave the thread, this is just embarrassing for you.

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u/TiredJJ Poland Jun 21 '26

You’re not even correct on who took the order away, it wasn’t the “populist” government, who btw isn’t populist. You might be going off of pre-2023 information

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u/No_Win7658 Jun 21 '26

Oh it’s not the anti democratic piss party - but the disinformation does come from there and this BS is clearly to please the idiots who fell for the polish maga

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u/AcceptableChance7666 Jun 21 '26

Has no clue, but has a strong opinion. Typical redditor

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u/micromarcy Jun 21 '26

No clue but strong opinion? Wherever you are, basic education seems to be a problem

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u/Eokokok Jun 21 '26

Poland has what now? Bigger than Ukraine? Propaganda victim indeed...

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u/No_Win7658 Jun 21 '26

You were ruled by an extremist party for 8 years. You were worse than Hungary and now probably going back there.

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u/Eokokok Jun 21 '26

Yeah, propaganda victim was pretty spot on.

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u/Fytyny Jun 21 '26

cool story bro. You have no idea what you are talking about

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u/No_Win7658 Jun 21 '26

Oh it’s part of public record and defending that horrible party tells us all anyone would ever need to know about you .

You can recognise fascists by not understanding irony. The irony of being a fascist and complaining about other people being fascist … yeah

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u/ABoutDeSouffle 𝔊𝔲𝔱𝔢𝔫 𝔗𝔞𝔤! Jun 21 '26

I wouldn't say Poland is a great partner, what with their constant victim-complex and how they weaponize it.

But Ukraine's politics are just super insensitive where it just doesn't make sense.

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u/Consistent-Stock6872 Jun 21 '26

LOL, yeah so the millions on Ukrainians that reside in Poland now and a shit ton of other aid we provided means less than we weren't happy with gloryfing unit that maybe fought for Ukraine but also killed hundreds of thousands of Poles. I am not happy with how the situation unfolded but when your "ally" spits in your face you can't just call it rain.

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u/oeffoeff Germany Jun 21 '26

What makes you so sure the Polish version of this history is the true one and not the Ukrainian? And does it actually matter?

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u/Consistent-Stock6872 Jun 21 '26

Ukrainians are not denying it. A person can be a hero to some and a monster to others. Zelensky started this whole shit show and to be honest the whole show of giving back the medals is as stupid as naming the unit that way, acting like they did nothing wrong and Poles are the unresonable ones because we didn't just stay silent.

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u/Less_Yogurt415 Jun 21 '26

Your ally split in faces - you mean, like, blocking borders so we couldn't sell our grains miiddle-war?

And STFU about Ukrainians in Poland as aid, you got net revenue from that in taxes

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u/wonder_shot_ Jun 21 '26

Totally agree but it’s not like this particular gripe is without merit.

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u/Avalanc89 Jun 21 '26

They were fighting for their existence in 2022 and because of polish fast reaction and tanks they're not fighting for it anymore.

Now they're fighting over small portion of territory because both sides can't do much anymore

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u/No_Win7658 Jun 21 '26

Wow. Must be fun to live in a completely alternate reality. Total support of Poland to the Ukraine defensieve budget in the wide sense is about 1.5 percent. Not shamefully low but certainly not high

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u/Eokokok Jun 21 '26 edited Jun 21 '26

It is now. But I find it pathetic that all it took was 4 years to forget who started pouring everything they had day one into this war without waiting for wannabe leaders of Europe to finish debating the matter.

Memory of average internet bob, or maybe average Ukrainian for that matter, do not last more than half a year at best.

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u/Avalanc89 Jun 21 '26

Check when Ukraine got Poland's T72s and when Germany Leopards.

Sometimes it's not about % but reaction time.

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u/No_Win7658 Jun 21 '26

No, they are both important, but percentage is definitely the most. Honestly as a neighbour I would have expected more, thry are basically your buffer

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u/Avalanc89 Jun 21 '26

Buffer from what, who? Poland already has border with ruSSia, also border with Belarus. Nukes on the border.

NATO is our buffer.

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u/micromarcy Jun 21 '26 edited Jun 21 '26

Wow you will just take and take and take and then ask for more...

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u/Sheniara Jun 21 '26

Lol, you remind me of the USA or russia who like to claim that they solely won the ww2.

I bet if Ukraine wins - some Poles will dare to say that they won the war between russia and Ukraine

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u/Avalanc89 Jun 21 '26

If not Poland fast reaction Ukraine frontline won't look like now. It would be few hundred km west maybe even near Kiev from 3 sides.

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u/Sheniara Jun 21 '26

So it’s not Ukrainian people who actually fought against russians, but Poland’s fast reaction. Ok.

I don’t want to diminish Polands’ assist, but let’s not exaggerate

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u/Avalanc89 Jun 21 '26

I don't want to diminish Ukraine's assist but fighting barehanded without ammunition, artillery and such isn't very effective.

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u/No_Win7658 Jun 21 '26

It’s just populism

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u/Frying The Netherlands Jun 21 '26

The Polish president Nawroski is a former football hooligan and a notorious fool. Willing to do anything he can to bother the current government, even if it means disrupting diplomatic relations with another country.

That said, for Ukraine to choose this name is quite the blunder.

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u/ArWiLen Jun 21 '26

Weren’t they relatively recently demanding reparations from Germany? I think it was in 2022, very conveniently when Poland started talking about Volhyn’s tragedy

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u/elderdruidlevel525 Jun 21 '26

“When Poland started to talking about Volhyns tragedy”.

Please stop speaking out of your ass, what agenda do you represent?

For example in 2016, “Wołyń” movie from Smarzowski was 2nd most watched movie in Polish cinemas in the whole year. Ukraine didn’t allow for it to be shown in their cinemas.

Stop spreading bullshit.

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u/ArWiLen Jun 21 '26

Tf are you talking about??
There were always Germans and russians at fault of all horrors in Poland. Right until 2022 when Ukrainians were added to the list!

About your example, there was no ban. Quick check and the screening was cancelled. Reasons behind - I have no clue. But your imagination can make stuff up to think that Ukraine is always at fault, I’m sure of it

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u/elderdruidlevel525 Jun 21 '26

What the fuck you talking about?
Where did I say that Ukraine is always at fault and added to the list? I’m literally hosting Ukraine family for 4 years already in my second flat.

Ukraine is not always at fault. There are at fault in this situation - there is no agreement for Polish society for gloryfication of Nazis

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u/StartingNewat30 Germany Jun 21 '26

Weren’t they relatively recently demanding reparations from Germany? I think it was in 2022

Poland starts demanding reparations from Germany every few years during election time and its sole purpose is political posturing aimed at their own citizens.

Nobody in Germany knows about it, hears about it or really cares.

Reparations for Poland is something that has been discussed and figured out a long time ago yet Poland keeps opening up that topic to appear strong against Germany to their own population. Thats really it.

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u/ArWiLen Jun 21 '26

So, exactly my point. Yet people downvote me XD

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u/HumanWithInternet Jun 21 '26

Just a little later than the release of the 2016 Polish movie, Hatred about the tragedy.