Poland takes issue with Zelenskyy after state award returned via courier service

A senior aide to the Polish president has expressed dissatisfaction over Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy returning a Polish state award via a courier service.

Agnieszka Jędrzak, a minister in the Chancellery of the President of Poland, said on X that she was “displeased” that the order was returned through the courier company Nova Post.

Order Orła Białego jest symbolem wdzięczności Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej i najwyższym odznaczeniem przyznawanym osobom zasłużonym, które łączy z krajem szczególną więź, i które szanują jego wartości.

Wśród odznaczonych są m. in. święty Jan Paweł II, generałowie Władysław Anders i… https://t.co/bijOHNf1Hq

— Agnieszka Jędrzak (@ajedrzak) June 21, 2026

“He is deepening the insult by returning it via courier service. The essence of the matter lies in the deliberate insult by the Ukrainian leader towards people who, over the past four years, have proven to be the best friends of Ukraine. One does not honour the killers of a nation that gave you all possible assistance when it mattered. When a helping hand is extended, you do not grab it greedily, only to later insult the helper. Let me be clear: President Karol Nawrocki revoked the order; he did not withdraw a hand. We support Ukraine, but we will not allow ourselves to be insulted,” the statement read.

She also responded to Zelenskyy’s critical remarks about Poland’s highest state honour, the Order of the White Eagle.

“The Order of the White Eagle is a symbol of gratitude of the Republic of Poland and the highest decoration awarded to distinguished individuals who have a special connection with the country and respect the values of its people. (…) President Zelenskyy mentioned Benito Mussolini, Catherine II, and Gerhard Schröder, whose titles were not revoked. The first two are long dead, and Poland does not revoke posthumously. As for the former German chancellor, he never insulted the Polish nation as openly as the President of Ukraine does,” Jędrzak added.

On the evening of June 19, Nawrocki decided to revoke Zelenskyy’s Order of the White Eagle over Ukraine’s decision to name a military unit after the Heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army.

He stated that Poland would not support EU membership for countries that fail to reject what he described as a “cult of totalitarianism and violence.”

Following the move, several current and former Ukrainian officials announced they would return their Polish state honours. The decision also triggered questions over Zelenskyy’s participation in this year’s Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdańsk, Poland.

On June 20, Zelenskyy confirmed that he had returned the order to Karol Nawrocki by post.

By Jeyhun Aghazada