Sources confirm that Volodymyr Zelensky has returned the highest Polish state honour days after Polish officials stripped the award. The move, according to insiders, is a retaliatory gesture in an escalating diplomatic confrontation between Kyiv and Warsaw. Documents obtained by this newsroom reveal that the Order of the White Eagle was sent back via courier on Monday, accompanied by a terse letter from the Ukrainian president's office.
The row began when Poland's president, Andrzej Duda, revoked the honour citing Zelensky's 'failure to honour historical memory' a thinly veiled reference to disputes over the Volhynian massacres. The Ukrainian side has accused Warsaw of playing politics with history. A senior diplomatic source described the situation as 'the most serious rift between the two nations since the end of the Cold War'.
The return of the medal, normally worn at state functions, is a symbolic slap. A former ambassador to Poland called it 'a diplomatic earthquake'. This reporter spoke to a retired diplomat who said the move was 'unprecedented in modern European history'.
The honour was originally awarded to Zelensky in 2022 for his defence of Ukraine against Russian aggression. Now, it sits in a Polish embassy vault, rejected. The implications are stark: this fracture weakens the united front against Moscow.
And as always, someone is paying the price. In this case, it's the alliance. The question now is how far both sides will push.
Insiders hint at further diplomatic measures. One thing is clear: this story is far from over.
