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Statement by Petro Poroshenko, the 5th President of Ukraine
“If we quarrel over the past, someone else will win the future. The presidents of Ukraine and Poland must finally understand this. Before it is too late!”
These are the words of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. “Only Moscow can be the winner in the war over history and medals,” is the view of Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski. I agree with both, because they hit the bullseye.
At the same time, I consider the decision of the President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, to be a mistake and unfair to the people of Ukraine. It is no coincidence that Medvedev has already congratulated him. The Kremlin always applauds anything that weakens the unity between Ukraine and Poland.
In President Zelenskyy’s case, and in my own case, it was not the heads of state who were being honored, but Ukrainians—our soldiers who are defending Ukraine, Poland, and all of Europe. Therefore, I have decided to decline the Order of the White Eagle. Two weeks ago, I promised my colleagues at the conciliatory council to take this step if we failed to convince President Nawrocki not to make this mistaken decision. Unfortunately, we did not succeed.
So, despite the fact that an illegal, anti-constitutional decision by the Ukrainian authorities has stripped me of all state awards through sanctions, I have made the decision to refuse the Order of the White Eagle. This is my gesture in response to the decision of the Polish President. But this step is in no way addressed to the Polish people!
My gratitude to Poland for supporting Ukraine and Ukrainians in difficult times remains unchanged. My deep conviction in the strategic preciousness of the Ukrainian-Polish partnership remains unchanged. My respect remains unchanged for my colleagues and friends—Presidents Kwaśniewski, Komorowski, and Duda, Prime Minister Tusk, Foreign Minister Sikorski, and the rest of the Polish politicians with whom we built and will continue to build a strong partnership, I would even say an alliance.
Those in Poland who do not endlessly chew on historical myths, but study history and draw conclusions from its lessons, know that after Ukraine loses its independence, Poland loses it too. But the past should not define our relationship. I do not want the Poles editing our textbooks, and I make no claim whatsoever that we Ukrainians should adjust Polish textbooks—because otherwise, we will be sent a joint textbook from Moscow.
But today, we should ask a few honest questions:
* Who brought Ukrainian-Polish relations to a situation where historical disputes have once again begun to dominate issues of common security?
* Who set up the Ukrainian state by allowing difficult pages of history to be turned into a tool of political confrontation?
* Who failed to see, or chose not to see, that only one capital wins from this escalation—Moscow?
Logistics are extremely important in this war. Every day, Ukraine destroys the enemy's logistics in occupied Crimea, trying to complicate the supply lines of the Russian army. Instead, Russia—through its agents of influence, through useful idiots, and through old historical wounds—is trying to destroy our logistics in the West, where the key routes supporting Ukraine pass. For us, Rzeszów is not just a Polish city. It is one of the symbols of international solidarity with Ukraine.
Therefore, any crisis between Kyiv and Warsaw today is not just a diplomatic problem. It is a security issue. And that is precisely why it must be resolved immediately. Today, it is important not to deepen the conflict, but to end it. I always remember the words of Saint John Paul II: "We forgive and ask for forgiveness." It was this exact formula that once helped our nations find the path to reconciliation and partnership.
Therefore, I propose that starting Monday, we look for solutions that will prevent the current crisis from deepening, and instead turn it into an impetus for a new stage of the Ukrainian-Polish partnership—one that is honest, friendly, and strategic. Politicians can afford to make political gestures, but diplomats should not be tossing medals around; they must overcome the crisis.
This crisis, by the way, goes beyond bilateral relations, because during my time, Poland became and must continue to be our main advocate on the path to EU and NATO membership. Right now, the main task for Ukrainian diplomacy is to preserve this achievement and strengthen our internal unity in the fight for ambitious foreign policy goals. It was exactly with this logic in mind that I made my decision.
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“If we quarrel over the past, someone else will win the future. The presidents of Ukraine and Poland must finally understand this. Before it is too late!”
These are the words of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. “Only Moscow can be the winner in the war over history and medals,” is the view of Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski. I agree with both, because they hit the bullseye.
At the same time, I consider the decision of the President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, to be a mistake and unfair to the people of Ukraine. It is no coincidence that Medvedev has already congratulated him. The Kremlin always applauds anything that weakens the unity between Ukraine and Poland.
In President Zelenskyy’s case, and in my own case, it was not the heads of state who were being honored, but Ukrainians—our soldiers who are defending Ukraine, Poland, and all of Europe. Therefore, I have decided to decline the Order of the White Eagle. Two weeks ago, I promised my colleagues at the conciliatory council to take this step if we failed to convince President Nawrocki not to make this mistaken decision. Unfortunately, we did not succeed.
So, despite the fact that an illegal, anti-constitutional decision by the Ukrainian authorities has stripped me of all state awards through sanctions, I have made the decision to refuse the Order of the White Eagle. This is my gesture in response to the decision of the Polish President. But this step is in no way addressed to the Polish people!
My gratitude to Poland for supporting Ukraine and Ukrainians in difficult times remains unchanged. My deep conviction in the strategic preciousness of the Ukrainian-Polish partnership remains unchanged. My respect remains unchanged for my colleagues and friends—Presidents Kwaśniewski, Komorowski, and Duda, Prime Minister Tusk, Foreign Minister Sikorski, and the rest of the Polish politicians with whom we built and will continue to build a strong partnership, I would even say an alliance.
Those in Poland who do not endlessly chew on historical myths, but study history and draw conclusions from its lessons, know that after Ukraine loses its independence, Poland loses it too. But the past should not define our relationship. I do not want the Poles editing our textbooks, and I make no claim whatsoever that we Ukrainians should adjust Polish textbooks—because otherwise, we will be sent a joint textbook from Moscow.
But today, we should ask a few honest questions:
* Who brought Ukrainian-Polish relations to a situation where historical disputes have once again begun to dominate issues of common security?
* Who set up the Ukrainian state by allowing difficult pages of history to be turned into a tool of political confrontation?
* Who failed to see, or chose not to see, that only one capital wins from this escalation—Moscow?
Logistics are extremely important in this war. Every day, Ukraine destroys the enemy's logistics in occupied Crimea, trying to complicate the supply lines of the Russian army. Instead, Russia—through its agents of influence, through useful idiots, and through old historical wounds—is trying to destroy our logistics in the West, where the key routes supporting Ukraine pass. For us, Rzeszów is not just a Polish city. It is one of the symbols of international solidarity with Ukraine.
Therefore, any crisis between Kyiv and Warsaw today is not just a diplomatic problem. It is a security issue. And that is precisely why it must be resolved immediately. Today, it is important not to deepen the conflict, but to end it. I always remember the words of Saint John Paul II: "We forgive and ask for forgiveness." It was this exact formula that once helped our nations find the path to reconciliation and partnership.
Therefore, I propose that starting Monday, we look for solutions that will prevent the current crisis from deepening, and instead turn it into an impetus for a new stage of the Ukrainian-Polish partnership—one that is honest, friendly, and strategic. Politicians can afford to make political gestures, but diplomats should not be tossing medals around; they must overcome the crisis.
This crisis, by the way, goes beyond bilateral relations, because during my time, Poland became and must continue to be our main advocate on the path to EU and NATO membership. Right now, the main task for Ukrainian diplomacy is to preserve this achievement and strengthen our internal unity in the fight for ambitious foreign policy goals. It was exactly with this logic in mind that I made my decision.
#local
source
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