Yuriy Banakhevych, Warsaw / Ukrinform
The most resonant event of the past two weeks in Poland was President Karol Nawrocki’s initiative regarding the possible revocation of the highest Polish state award, the Order of the White Eagle, from President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This award was granted by former Polish President Andrzej Duda in April 2023.
Nawrocki justified his decision by the fact that the President of Ukraine awarded one of the Special Operations Forces units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine the honorary title “in honor of the Heroes of the UPA”. Following the session of the Chapter of the Order of the White Eagle on Monday, June 8th, which was to provide its position on this initiative, the Polish President’s office announced that Nawrocki would make a decision “at the appropriate time.”
In an interview with Ukrinform, former Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz (in office from 2018-2020) shared his opinion about President Nawrocki’s initiative, the Polish side’s statement about “making a decision at the appropriate time,” how this affected Ukrainian-Polish relations and the overall international situation, and how to act in this situation.
WAR IS NOT THE BEST TIME FOR DISCUSSIONS ABOUT COMPLEX HISTORY
– Mr. Czaputowicz, how do you assess the initiative of President Karol Nawrocki to possibly revoke the Order of the White Eagle from President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy?
– First of all, I must note that the decision of the President of Ukraine to name one of the Ukrainian units after the “Heroes of the UPA” caused genuine pain in Polish society.
For many Poles, the UPA is primarily associated with the Volyn tragedy and the mass killings of Poles.
I am convinced that the word “pain” is entirely appropriate here.
At the same time, I believe that Poland should have more actively cooperated with Ukraine on this issue earlier. President Nawrocki has not yet visited Kyiv and constantly raises various controversial issues.
Instead, it is necessary to engage in dialogue, deepen understanding and cooperation, calmly form awareness of complex historical pages, and gradually move towards reconciliation.
Poland suffered far greater losses from Germany, yet we managed to build allied and friendly relations and cooperation. Such a path awaits both the Polish and Ukrainian peoples.
Poland should leave some room for negotiations.
War is not the best time for Ukraine to engage in discussions about complex historical contexts. Today, Ukraine is fighting for its existence, sovereignty, and statehood, and it seems to me that there is not enough understanding of this circumstance in Poland.
Instead, on the part of Poland, there is an attempt, which I sharply criticize, to take advantage of Ukraine’s difficult situation to force it to change its attitude towards historical issues.
We cannot treat Ukraine paternalistically, as Ukraine is a strong state with an army of almost a million. Therefore, the idea that Poland can impose something on it is a big misunderstanding.
Ukrainians are a proud people who are well aware of their place. Moreover, Ukraine has significant moral authority and so-called “soft power,” as it has independently stood against Russian aggression. We must acknowledge this because that is how Ukraine is perceived in the world.
I also want to draw attention to another important aspect. Recently, an important meeting of leading European countries took place in London.
Participants expressed support for Ukraine, participation in peace negotiations, cessation of hostilities at the demarcation line, and the possible deployment of a stabilization mission in Ukraine. If Poland does not want to participate in such a mission, its significance in these processes will be limited.
Poland should realistically assess its own role and opportunities.
Therefore, I believe President Karol Nawrocki chose the wrong tool of influence. The revocation of the award should not have been considered at all. Diplomatic steps could have been taken: summoning the ambassador or submitting a protest note to express concern, draw attention to the problem, or use other influence mechanisms.
Instead, the chosen method is inappropriate and, in my opinion, will not yield a positive result.
– On Monday evening, the Chancellery of the President of Poland announced following a meeting of the Order of the White Eagle’s Chapter that Nawrocki would make a decision regarding the order for Zelensky “at the appropriate time.” What does this mean?
– Indeed, the president’s chancellery said he would make a decision at the appropriate time. But I want to emphasize: any president on any issue always makes decisions “at the appropriate time.” In fact, this means that the decision to revoke Zelensky’s order has not been made. And I find it hard to imagine the reasons for which it might be made in the future.
Furthermore, the position of the order’s Chapter on this matter has not been disclosed. I interpret this as a result of reflection and a necessary step back, as everyone expected some concrete decision. The president himself had previously called for the revocation of the award, raised this topic, and is now stating that he will make some decision eventually. It seems the topic is still being used as a political tool, but Ukraine will no longer agree to this.
In other words, we were forced to retreat and lost in the so-called “chicken game,” meaning we were the first to veer off the road. This is a situation where two cars at high speed are heading straight towards each other, and the first to veer off is considered the one who backed down. That’s how I assess this situation: Nawrocki was the first to turn aside. He did not keep his promise, while Zelensky remained firm in his position.
IF THE HUB FOR UKRAINE WERE CLOSED, POLAND WOULD BECOME AN INTERNATIONAL PARIAH
– What, in your opinion, influenced President Nawrocki’s change of position? It seemed he was very determined to take this step…
– My assessment of this situation is positive. Despite everything, there was some reevaluation, some reflection on how such a step would harm Poland itself and the country’s interests, our relations with Ukraine.
That is why this decision should be welcomed. Although, of course, it would have been much better if this game hadn’t started at all, as Poland’s position was already weakened. Still, credit where it’s due: it’s good that this idea was ultimately abandoned. At the same time, new circumstances could arise that may affect the development of the situation.
– Do you think the visit of the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov to Warsaw last weekend somehow influenced the development of the situation?
– I believe he did the right thing by coming, listening to the Polish perspective, and drawing conclusions. It seems that the decision was then made for Zelensky to undertake international travels from Chișinău rather than Rzeszów. This made Poland seriously reconsider.
ONLY RUSSIA WOULD BENEFIT FROM THE ESCALATION OF THE CONFLICT
– In Poland, there are also opinions that due to historical differences, the hub in Jasionka, through which the lion’s share of international aid to Ukraine passes, should be closed for repairs. What is your opinion on this matter?
– In my opinion, this is unrealistic. How would the Americans and Europeans react to such actions? We would become an international pariah, with others ceasing to take us seriously, and in the end, we would be forced to reconsider our decision anyway. Therefore, I believe this cannot even be a subject of discussion.
– How do you think the Western world has generally perceived this situation in Polish-Ukrainian relations?
– The West is surprised by the whole situation. I think everyone agrees that only Russia would benefit from the further escalation of this conflict. But, let me reiterate: fortunately, Poland has reconsidered the situation, as it was recognized that the losses from prolonging this conflict would outweigh the potential benefits.
– Soon in Gdańsk, there is an International Conference on Ukraine Recovery (Ukraine Recovery Conference) to take place. In what atmosphere will it be held, considering the current situation?
– In Poland, there are fears that because of this situation, Zelensky might not come to Gdańsk for the conference dedicated to Ukraine’s reconstruction. If he didn’t attend, then some other leaders might also cancel their visit. The important conference would then turn into a secondary event, which would be another huge loss for both Poland and Ukraine.
Photo: MFA Poland
