Former Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groyman returned the Knightʼs Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.
He reported this on Facebook.
The politician received the award in 2011, when he was the mayor of Vinnytsia. It was presented for the development of interregional Polish-Ukrainian relations and the popularization of Polish culture and history.
Groysman wrote that he was making this gesture not with resentment towards the Polish people, but with deep respect and gratitude to them for all the years of support, with gratitude to the millions of Poles who opened their hearts and homes to Ukrainians.
"Every nation has the right to its history and its heroes. This right is sacred — for both Ukraine and Poland. We can look at the past differently, and this is normal between neighbours with such a deep and complex common destiny. But the past cannot be more precious than a common future.
"There is something that is not up for discussion: today there is a war going on. The real enemy is Russia. And while this war is going on, we cannot afford to argue about the past. This is exactly what Moscow wants: for Warsaw and Kyiv to look back, not forward," Groysman added.
Why Zelensky was stripped of Polandʼs highest state award
On May 26, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree awarding the Separate Special Operations Center "North" of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine the honorary title "named after the Heroes of UPA".
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha explained Zelenskyʼs decree as follows: Ukrainians did not want to offend Poles and chose the name for the SOF unit to remember those who fought against imperial Moscow many years ago.
However, this decision of the Ukrainian president caused outrage among Poles. And on June 19, the current president Karol Nawrocki stripped Zelensky of the Order of the White Eagle, Polandʼs highest state award, which he had been awarded by former Polish president Andrzej Duda. Zelensky later sent his order to Poland via “Nova Post”.
Three presidents of Ukraine — Leonid Kuchma, Viktor Yushchenko, and Petro Poroshenko — also refused their orders of the White Eagle. Also, the head of the Foreign Ministry Andriy Sybiha and the head of the Presidential Office Kyrylo Budanov refused their awards — the Commanderʼs Cross with the Star of the Order "For Merit to Poland" and the Golden Officerʼs Cross of the Order "For Merit to Poland".
Former Polish Sejm member Piotr Vogler also refused the Golden Cross of Merit. He called President Nawrockiʼs actions a "nightmare".
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