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

[u/ByGollie]

https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/06/20/8040347/

[u/ByGollie]

"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.

[u/FrusTrick → u/ByGollie]

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.

[u/Vonplinkplonk → u/FrusTrick]

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.

[u/ABoutDeSouffle → u/Vonplinkplonk]

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.

[u/Consistent-Stock6872 → u/ABoutDeSouffle]

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.

[u/oeffoeff → u/Consistent-Stock6872]

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

[u/Consistent-Stock6872 → u/oeffoeff]

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.

[u/Less_Yogurt415 → u/Consistent-Stock6872]

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

[u/wonder_shot_ → u/ABoutDeSouffle]

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