Viktor Yushchenko also refused the Polish Order of the White Eagle
The third President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko made the decision to refuse the Polish Order of the White Eagle as a sign of disagreement with the reconsideration of the decision to award the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This was reported by the press secretary of Viktor Yushchenko, Iryna Vannikova.
“This award was given not only to a specific person. Above all, it became a sign of respect for the Ukrainian people, who pay an extraordinarily high price for their freedom, independence, and the right to live in their own state.
That is why any attempts to reconsider this decision today go far beyond the attitude towards one politician. They inevitably affect millions of Ukrainians who defend their country daily on the front line, work for victory in the rear, and lose their dearest in this war.
I clearly remember the tears in the eyes of Viktor Yushchenko and Lech Kaczyński in Huta Pieniacka in Lviv region in 2009, where the Polish victims of the punitive operation during World War II were honored. These were sincere tears of atonement, mutual forgiveness, and honoring the fallen.
At that time, Yushchenko and Kaczyński consciously chose the path of reconciliation. A few years earlier, our presidents together honored Ukrainian victims in the village of Pawłokoma in Poland and emphasized the necessity of Ukrainian-Polish understanding despite the tragic pages of the past.
This was one of the brightest examples
of the politics of historical reconciliation, which Viktor Yushchenko and Lech Kaczyński built together.
At that time, Ukrainians and Poles together went through difficult and painful pages of our shared history. These were difficult conversations, but they were built on mutual respect, honesty, and the desire to understand each other. This is how true reconciliation and respect between Ukrainians and Poles were born.
Likewise, I will never forget the first months of the full-scale invasion. Poland and the Polish people were among the first to extend a helping hand to Ukraine. And for that, we will always be grateful.
Today Ukraine is defending not only itself. Our military defends the eastern border of all Europe. And any steps that weaken Ukrainian-Polish unity ultimately only serve the Kremlin,” the statement reads.
Earlier, the second President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma also refused his Order of the White Eagle.
As previously reported by “Judicial and Legal Newspaper”, the President of Poland Karol Nawrocki deprived Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle.
On June 20, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that he sent this order by mail to Karol Nawrocki.
Additionally, the head of the Office of the President Kyrylo Budanov refused the Golden Officer’s Cross of the Order “For Merits to Poland.”
Moreover, the Ambassador of Ukraine to Poland Vasyl Bodnar announced the decision to return the Polish state award — the Knight’s Cross of the Order “For Merits to the Republic of Poland.”
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