Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has officially stated that he is returning the Republic of Poland’s high state award — the Commander’s Cross with Star of the Order “For Merit to Poland”.
He wrote about this on Facebook.
“The decision to strip the President of Ukraine of the Order of the White Eagle is a strategic mistake by the President of Poland, from which only Moscow will benefit. We regret that emotions have prevailed in Warsaw and led to unjustified, impulsive and disrespectful steps not only toward President Zelensky, but above all toward the Ukrainian state,” the Foreign Minister stressed.
Amid the escalation, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister decided to renounce his Polish state award — the Commander’s Cross with Star of the Order “For Merit to Poland”, which he received in October 2022. The diplomat emphasised that in this situation, principles and mutual respect are more important than distinctions.
“Against the background of such reckless actions, I see no possibility of retaining the high state award of the Republic of Poland granted to me in October 2022. I will soon return it to Poland. It is not about orders, but about attitude. We have always advocated an approach based on mutual respect, even when it comes to difficult and sensitive issues. And this implies respecting each other’s decisions even when we disagree with them — ‘agreeing to disagree’, as they say,” Sybiha noted.
Earlier, it was reported that Polish President Karol Nawrocki decided to strip Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Poland’s highest state award — the Order of the White Eagle.
