![Hon. Festus Keyamo SAN arrives MMIA past 11:50 p.m. Feb 23 to lead oversight of Terminal 1 fire. Joined FAAN MD & team actively managing situation. Directed morning inspection Tuesday to guide restoration & confirm safety standards. Reaffirmed focus on passenger safety. Story: [link] #KeyamoMMIA #FireIncident #FAAN](https://fullcliphq.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/mym-150x150.jpg "MMIA Fire: Keyamo Inspects Lagos Airport After Terminal 1 Blaze Disrupts Flights")
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has returned Poland’s highest state honour, the Order of the White Eagle, after Polish President Karol Nawrocki revoked the award citing concerns over Ukraine’s recent commemoration of a controversial World War II unit.
In a detailed statement posted on X on Saturday, Zelenskyy said he believed the 2023 award was given to the Ukrainian people and their armed forces for their resistance against Russian aggression. He noted that if the order could remain with historical figures such as Catherine the Great, Benito Mussolini, and Gerhard Schröder, Ukraine would not contest Poland’s decision.
“Ukraine is grateful to the Polish people for their support and cooperation,” Zelenskyy wrote. “We will remain open to all meaningful formats of engagement with Poland to avoid conflicting interpretations of the difficult and painful chapters of our shared past.”
The revocation was announced by President Nawrocki on June 19, following a decision by the Chapter of the Order. Nawrocki, a historian, cited Ukraine’s May 26 decree granting the honorary title “Heroes of the UPA” to a Ukrainian Special Operations unit. For many Poles, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) is primarily remembered for the massacres of Polish civilians in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia during 1943 – 1945, events Poland officially recognises as genocide. Estimates of Polish deaths range from 60,000 to 120,000.
Despite the symbolic friction, both sides have stressed that practical cooperation remains unchanged. Zelenskyy reaffirmed Ukraine’s gratitude for Polish support and emphasised that regional solidarity is a key security guarantee. He is still expected to attend the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdańsk later this month.
Polish officials, including those from Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government, have described the revocation as a matter of historical truth rather than a weakening of support for Ukraine in its war against Russia. Russia has predictably sought to exploit the tensions for propaganda purposes.
The Order of the White Eagle, awarded to Zelenskyy in April 2023 for strengthening bilateral ties and European security, had been a symbol of close Polish-Ukrainian solidarity following Russia’s full-scale invasion. Several senior Ukrainian officials have also returned their Polish honours in response.