Tusk urges calm after Poland-Ukraine row over wartime history

Donald Tusk called the latest Poland-Ukraine clash over wartime history a strategic mistake, warning that it would damage both countries at a moment when their security interests still overlap. The dispute, triggered by Kyiv’s decision to rename a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, has already led Poland’s president to strip Volodymyr Zelenskiy of the Order of the White Eagle and prompted Ukrainian officials to return Polish honors.

Tusk said on X on June 21 that dragging politicians from both countries into the fight would hurt them business-wise, geopolitically and reputationally. He also said the conflict “pleases” Vladimir Putin and “shocks our allies,” a blunt reminder that the row is unfolding while Poland remains one of Ukraine’s most important European backers in the war against Russia.

The immediate escalation came after Polish President Karol Nawrocki revoked Zelenskiy’s award on June 19, reversing a high-profile gesture made in 2023 by then-President Andrzej Duda. Reuters reported that three former Ukrainian presidents and other senior officials returned Polish state awards after the revocation, underscoring how quickly a symbolic dispute spilled into formal diplomacy. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha responded that Poland’s move was a strategic error that benefits Moscow.

At the center of the argument is the UPA, a World War II-era nationalist formation whose legacy remains deeply contested in both countries. Poland remembers it chiefly through the Volhynia massacres, in which tens of thousands of Poles were killed in territory that is now western Ukraine. In Ukraine, the same tradition is often tied to anti-Soviet resistance and the struggle for independence, which is why memorial politics and military symbolism continue to ignite nationalist anger.

The stakes now reach far beyond history. A deeper rupture could complicate military aid, refugee support and broader European Union unity at a time when Kyiv is still dependent on Polish logistics and political backing. Tusk said he was trying to reduce losses in discussions with European partners, signaling that the dispute is not just a bilateral quarrel but a test of how much damage wartime memory politics can inflict on Europe’s security architecture.