The dispute erupted after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy honored figures associated with the Ukrainian nationalist movement and named a military unit after fighters from the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).
A major conference on Ukraine’s reconstruction is set to take place in Poland this week amid growing tensions between Kyiv and Warsaw over historical issues linked to World War II.
The dispute erupted after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy honored figures associated with the Ukrainian nationalist movement and named a military unit after fighters from the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).
Poland views the UPA as responsible for massacres of tens of thousands of Poles during World War II.
In response, Polish President Karol Nawrocki revoked a state honor previously awarded to Zelenskyy.
Several senior Ukrainian officials subsequently returned their Polish awards in protest.
Despite the diplomatic row, analysts say the disagreement is unlikely to affect Poland’s strong support for Ukraine in its war against Russia.
Poland remains one of Ukraine’s key allies, providing military aid, humanitarian assistance, and support for millions of Ukrainian refugees.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has urged both sides to avoid escalating the dispute, warning that divisions between the two countries would only benefit Russia.
Zelenskyy is expected to skip the Ukraine Recovery Conference in the Polish city of Gdansk, with Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko leading Kyiv’s delegation instead.
The controversy highlights longstanding disagreements over the legacy of the UPA, which many Ukrainians view as fighters for independence, while many Poles remember them for wartime atrocities against Polish civilians.
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