Bartosz Cichocki, Poland’s ambassador to Ukraine from 2019 to 2023, has returned his state honors to the Ukrainian Embassy in Warsaw to protest President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s recent decision to glorify the UPA.
Diplomatic Protest Against UPA Recognition
Bartosz Cichocki announced on Monday that he returned the awards he received in 2022. The diplomat stated his decision was a direct response to actions by the Ukrainian president honoring the UPA and those identified as collaborators with Nazi Germany.
In a formal statement, Cichocki affirmed that while every Ukrainian fighting against the invader has his support, he remains firm in his opposition to historical revisionism and the glorification of groups responsible for historical atrocities.
Background of the Returned Honors
Cichocki had been decorated twice by Ukrainian authorities in 2022. In June, President Zelenskyy awarded him the Order of Merit, Second Class, and in December, the then-commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, presented him with the Ukrainian Cross of Merit.
Controversy Over Military Unit Designation
The conflict stems from Zelenskyy’s decision last week to name a unit of the Ukrainian Armed Forces the “Heroes of the UPA.” Kyiv stated the move was intended to restore the historical traditions of the national army and acknowledge the unit’s performance in defending Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
The decision has triggered significant backlash in Poland. Prime Minister Donald Tusk described the naming as “disturbing” for bilateral relations and a violation of Polish historical sensitivity. Meanwhile, Karol Nawrocki argued that the glorification of UPA fighters suggests Ukraine is not mentally prepared for European integration and suggested that Zelenskyy should be stripped of the Order of the White Eagle.
