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France 24
France 24
Politics
FRANCE 24

Poland strips Zelensky of country's highest honour, escalating World War II-era row

Volodymyr Zelenksyy Donald Tusk Karol Nawrocki Poland World War II Warsaw Ukraine Wojtek Radwanski Kyiv
Poland's President Karol Nawrocki and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw, Poland, on December 19, 2025
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and Poland's President Karol Nawrocki are shown at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw on December 19, 2025. © Wojtek Radwanski, AFP

Poland's nationalist President Karol Nawrocki said Friday that he was revoking the country's highest award from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after he infuriated Warsaw by naming a Ukrainian unit after a World War II insurgent militia that massacred Poles. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk had earlier appealed to both nations "not to waste" solidarity between allies amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Poland's hard-right president Karol Nawrocki on Friday stripped his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky of Warsaw's top award, escalating a row between the neighbours and allies over the memory of World War II.

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