The second president of Ukraine, Leonid Kuchma,  refused the Polish Order of the White Eagle, which he was awarded in 1997. The reason was Warsaw’s decision to deprive the current president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, of this award.

Kuchma’s statement was announced by his press secretary Darka Olifer, Censor.NET reports.

Kuchma refuses the order 

“In connection with the decision of Polish President Karol Nawrocki to deprive Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of the Polish Order of the White Eagle, I have decided to renounce this order, which I had the honor of being awarded in 1997,” the statement said.

Kuchma noted that throughout his presidency, he considered building friendly relations with Poland one of his top priorities.

“We paid special attention to resolving historical problems in relations between our peoples, which resulted in our joint statement in 2003 on their reconciliation. We forgive and ask for forgiveness – this is the principle that President Kwasniewski and I developed under the spiritual mediation of the great Pole, Pope John Paul II,” he said.

According to Kuchma, this principle has worked for decades. 

“The true friendship between Ukraine and Poland has become a reality. Its confirmation is the invaluable assistance that Poland provided to Ukraine from the first hours of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation. And I am sure that the current unfriendly step of President Navrotsky cannot cross out all this. But today I have no choice but to refuse the high Polish order. Ukraine did not accept the battle from Russia, which justified its invasion with historical claims, so that today other countries would dictate our history to us and determine who we should honor,” the second president of Ukraine said.

He expressed hope that friendship and allied relations between Ukraine and Poland will be preserved.

“But today I feel sadness and anxiety. It’s one thing when an enemy attacks. It’s quite another when enmity separates friends. And even worse – when these friends are also threatened by a common danger. We must remember history. However, the past cannot be more important than the future. The burning, sharp, but phantom pain of an ancient tragedy should not blind us so much as to not see the real, present threat of an imperial power in the East, which has previously deprived both our peoples of statehood and does not hide its intentions to try to do it again,” the statement said.

Finally, Kuchma emphasized that Ukraine and Poland need each other more than ever before.

“Politicians of both countries should realize this. I hope for their wisdom,” he concluded. 

What preceded it?

Polish President Karol Nawrocki has stripped Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of the country’s highest award, the Order of the White Eagle, amid a scandal over the awarding of the title of Heroes of the UPA to an elite unit of the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces.

In response, a number of Ukrainian officials made statements:

• Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga refused the Commander’s Cross with the Star of the Order “For Services to Poland” in response to the decision of Polish President Karol Nawrotsky to deprive Volodymyr Zelensky of the highest Polish award, the Order of the White Eagle;
• Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov refused the Order “For Services to Poland”;
• Ukrainian Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bodnar also announced the return of the Polish award after President Volodymyr Zelensky was stripped of the Order of the White Eagle.
• On June 20, President Volodymyr Zelensky sent the Order of the White Eagle to Polish President Karol Nawrotski. Джерело: https://censor.net/ua/n4009402
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