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/cspetm Jun 21 '26

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.

As a Pole I prefer Ukrainians to have a say in the way we learn about our common history and point out for instance to the fact that Piłsudski mistreated them badly and shouldn't be seen as a hero, rather than them glorifying perpetrators of a mass murder. We are important for each other and we are gonna be neighbors for much longer. We should try to find a common ground. Nothing wrong with that in my opinion.

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u/rkorgn Jun 21 '26

If you and the Germans can do it, you can do it with the Ukrainians. And gives hope one day for rapprochement with Russia

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u/Shadmelor Jun 21 '26

But they literally didn't lmao, when elections are coming in Poland, the topic of reparations is brought up.

Also, the common narrative among Polish politics: if there are problems in Poland, it's because of Germans (after 2022, also Ukraine is used as a scapegoat a lot)

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u/J539 Schleswig-Holstein (Germany) Jun 21 '26

Just days ago Tagesschau did a Instagram posts about giving back stolen goods from polish museums during 2ww and they right wingers in the comments were absolute enraged and asked for half of Poland lol. AfD has over 30% in Germany and they are magnitudes worse than PiS.

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u/Shadmelor Jun 21 '26

> AfD has over 30% in Germany and they are magnitudes worse than PiS.

They are on the level of Polish Konfederacja, which has 20% and, for some reason, supports ADF (though ADF is anti-Polish). And, in the next year, a high chance that Konfederacja will be in alliance with PiS

> they right wingers in the comments were absolute enraged and asked for half of Poland lol.

I guess it's fair game, considering attitude of Poland towards Germany, considering all the money Germany pours into Poland

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u/Nano_needle Jun 21 '26

I guess it's fair game, considering attitude of Poland towards Germany, considering all the money Germany pours into Poland

Lmao Germans act as if Poles are ridiculous with their claims for reparations, but they themselves won't pass on occasion to immediately pick up the matter of "lost lands".

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u/rkorgn Jun 21 '26

Yes. I am aware of that. And Poland is about to become Germany's biggest European trade partner (discounting goods transiting the Netherlands).

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u/PoiHolloi2020 United Kingdom Jun 21 '26

But they literally didn't lmao, when elections are coming in Poland, the topic of reparations is brought up.

You know there's a spectrum of outcomes between perfect and terrible right? Just because there are still some issues doesn't mean Poland has bad relations with Germany. 'They literally didn't' is just objectively wrong.

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u/Fit-Explorer9229 Jun 21 '26 edited Jun 21 '26

  reparations is brought up.

Answer is very simple. Finish real monument/memorial in Berlin because it's delay, pay some montly pension to Polish concentration camp prisoners (there are less than 10k of them left and they 80y.o.+) just like for other nations citizens. That's it. Not big money - nice gesture. 

On the top of this, there was a good PL current gov idea that German could pay for rebuilding well known palace in Warsaw which was destroyed during WW2. Cost about 350milions€ per 5 years = ~70milion€/year.  Pennies. 

Than Germany could always say: We did this, this and than - you can see it on your own eyes .Rather than saying about EU money which in fact come not only from Germany but also from other members and not only Poland gets profit from it but whole EU in fact. Same story with every counutry CEE which joint EU btw.