FRANCE PERSPECTIVE

Paris, June 20, 2026. The crisis between Warsaw and Kyiv has reached symbolic proportions unprecedented since the war began. Polish President Karol Nawrocki announced on Friday, June 19, the withdrawal of the Order of the White Eagle from Volodymyr Zelensky — a distinction equivalent to the Legion of Honor, granted in April 2023 by his predecessor Andrzej Duda for exceptional contribution to deepening Polish-Ukrainian relations. The next day, Zelensky returned the insignia by ordinary mail to the Polish presidential chancellery, posting a photo of the package on X.

The dispute originated at the end of May, when Zelensky renamed a Ukrainian special forces unit "Heroes of the UPA," in tribute to the Ukrainian Insurgent Army. In Ukraine, this nationalist organization that fought the Soviet Union between 1942 and 1949 is presented as a symbol of national resistance. In Poland, its memory is radically different: the UPA is held responsible for the massacre of approximately 100,000 Poles in Volhynia between 1943 and 1945, events characterized as ethnic cleansing by Warsaw. Nawrocki had nonetheless granted Kyiv a deadline after an initial warning on May 29 — a deadline Zelensky failed to honor, according to Le Monde.

The chain reaction on the Ukrainian side immediately amplified the crisis. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiga announced the return of his own Polish decoration, denouncing "unjustified, impulsive and disdainful" measures in Warsaw and an "unnecessary escalation." The Ukrainian ambassador to Poland and Zelensky's principal advisor followed suit. France 24 notes that this decision was made despite contrary requests from Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, signaling a fracture within the Polish governing camp itself.

French media unanimously emphasize the windfall this episode represents for Moscow. "The conflict between Poland and Ukraine delights Putin and shocks our allies," reports 20 Minutes, noting the conflict is at day 1,577. L'Express emphasizes that Poland remains one of Kyiv's principal military supporters since February 2022, making what French media characterize as "a disagreement likely to shake an essential alliance" particularly concerning. The episode occurs on the eve of an international conference on Ukraine's reconstruction, which heightens the untimely nature of the dispute.

Zelensky sought to leave an exit door open: "Ukraine will remain open to all formats of meaningful engagement with Poland, in order to avoid conflicting interpretations of difficult and painful chapters of our shared past." Nawrocki, for his part, clarified that the withdrawal of the decoration "is not directed against the Ukrainian people" and that Warsaw will continue supporting Kyiv. The rhetoric from both capitals suggests willingness to contain damage — but the memory battle over Volhynia, described by French media as a raw wound for decades, remains entirely unresolved.