Former Polish envoy returns award to Ukraine in protest

Bartosz Cichocki, who served as Poland’s ambassador to Ukraine from 2019 to 2023, has returned a state award granted to him by Vladimir Zelensky, citing Kiev’s latest round of honoring nationalist figures who collaborated with Nazi Germany and took part in ethnic cleansings.

The move follows Ukraine’s state reburial last month of Andrey Melnik, who co-founded Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) in 1929 and later competed with Stepan Bandera for influence within the movement. Both men have been criticized for their collaboration with Nazi Germany during the Second World War. 

Zelensky has also recently named a commando unit after the “Heroes of UPA,” a reference to the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, the OUN’s military wing.

Cichocki’s decision to return the Ukrainian Order of Merit, which he received from Zelensky in 2022, comes amid a wave of anger in Poland over the latest tributes to Ukrainian nationalist fighters. The OUN sought to create an ethnically homogeneous state, and the UPA engaged in the mass killing of Poles, Jews, Russians, and other minorities.

In comments to the Polish Press Agency on Monday, the retired diplomat said he had handed the decoration back to the Ukrainian embassy. He said he nevertheless supports Ukrainians fighting against Russia, as well as those opposing “historical lies and corruption.”

Selective outrage

Although the glorification of UPA and Ukrainian Nazi collaborators has been part of Kiev’s policy for years, the latest gestures have triggered an unusually strong backlash in Poland.

Polish President Karol Nawrocki has called for Zelensky to be stripped of the Order of the White Eagle, Poland’s highest state honor, and warned that a country venerating “bandits and murderers” is not ready to join “the European family.” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Zelensky’s decision had pushed a longstanding historical grievance to “a rather alarming level.”

Much of the criticism has targeted Zelensky personally. His political standing has been weakened by a series of corruption scandals involving members of his inner circle, as well as by tensions with a rebellious parliament that has resisted painful reforms demanded by foreign donors.

Cichocki’s protest did not mention the honorary badge “Cross of Merit” badge, which he received in 2022 from then-Ukrainian Army commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzhny, who is frequently described in the media as a possible successor to Zelensky.

The badge is among several military decorations introduced by Zaluzhny in 2021, some of which draw directly on UPA’s honors. By contrast, the Ukrainian Order of Merit was established in 1996 and does not carry the same historical baggage.

Moscow says West tolerates ‘Nazis’ in Ukraine

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Zelensky had once again demonstrated the “true essence” of the “regime” he leads. Moscow has long argued that Kiev’s brand of Ukrainian nationalism is rooted in Nazi ideology and fuels discriminatory policies against ethnic Russians.

“The official, state-level glorification of Nazi criminals and collaborators is taking place in the center of Europe,” Peskov said. “I don’t know if anyone in the European capitals likes this, but we don’t like it at all.”

Moscow has repeatedly accused Kiev’s Western backers of ignoring Ukrainian wrongdoing as long as the country continues to inflict damage on Russia. Poland’s own historical grievances with Russia go back centuries, and Warsaw has been among the most vocal supporters of Zelensky’s government.