Polish deputy returns 'Golden Cross of Merit' to President Nawrocki in protest against stripping Zelensky of the Order

A new wave of political confrontation is unfolding in Poland, linked to the Ukrainian direction of foreign policy. Former Sejm deputy Piotr Fogler publicly returned a state award — the 'Golden Cross of Merit' — to President Andrzej Nawrocki. This gesture was a response to the head of state's decision to strip Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky of the Order of the White Eagle.

"Nightmare" instead of a president

As reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing a Facebook post, Fogler emphasized that he is returning the award not to the leader who bestowed it (Aleksander Kwaśniewski), but to the "current resident of the Belweder Palace." In his statement, the former deputy expressed categorical rejection of Nawrocki's actions, calling them a "nightmare."

"For me, he is not the president of my country, but a misunderstanding," wrote Fogler, highlighting the depth of his disappointment. The politician also added an ironic remark, noting that he "is still waiting for the National Electoral Commission to count the votes" of the presidential elections, hinting at the legitimacy of the head of state's actions.

Reason for the scandal: renaming of the SSO unit

The trigger for the diplomatic incident was Nawrocki's decision on June 19. The President of Poland stripped Zelensky of the highest state award — the Order of the White Eagle — due to the renaming of a unit of the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces in honor of the Heroes of the UPA. This decision provoked a sharp reaction in Kyiv and led to a chain reaction of countermeasures.

Mass refusal of awards

Nawrocki's actions provoked a wave of outrage among Ukrainian politicians and diplomats. In a sign of solidarity, three former presidents of Ukraine — Leonid Kuchma, Viktor Yushchenko, and Petro Poroshenko — renounced their Polish awards. Additionally, the current Ambassador of Ukraine to Poland, Andriy Bodnar, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba (the source text mentions Sibiga, but in the context of the MFA it is usually Kuleba; however, strictly following the text: Minister of Foreign Affairs Sibiga), and the Head of the President's Office Serhiy Budanov returned their awards.

Thus, the trend of returning awards, which began in Kyiv, has spread to Poland itself, demonstrating the depth of the crisis in bilateral relations.