"No president of another country will dictate our history to us anymore; we will closely monitor every move they make" - Sybiha
Ukraine will mirror all actions, especially those that are unfriendly and disrespectful toward our country. This was Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha’s response to Polish President Karol Nawrocki’s decision to strip Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle.
According to the minister, Ukraine did not seek to create such tensions in bilateral relations. Sybiha emphasized that Ukrainians have always valued their relations with Poland and were grateful for the assistance they received.
“It is very important right now not to politicize sensitive issues of the historical past. Yes, there were difficult chapters, but let historians discuss them. Disrespect for the President of Ukraine is not just about orders. It is about disrespect for Ukrainian soldiers, for the Ukrainian people, and for our right to have a history. We will not tolerate this,” said the Foreign Minister.
Sybiha stated that “no president of another country will dictate our history to us anymore.”
“We will respond in kind to every move, especially if those moves are unfriendly or disrespectful toward our country. The time for turning a blind eye is over. Navrotsky has acted as a destroyer of the positive progress we have made recently. It’s no wonder he’s receiving applause from Moscow,” the minister continued.
He also called on the Poles to exercise restraint and diplomacy.
"We are open to political dialogue. Every day, we talk with our Polish friends about how to maintain the diplomatic track. We are united by common challenges, interests, and a shared European future. We must rid our relations of the burden of the past. Our agency is growing. Some may not like it, but that is the reality,” Sybiha asserted.
He also added that many partners have shown solidarity and condemned President Nawrocki’s actions.
As a reminder, Nawrocki explained the decision to revoke Zelenskyy’s order by stating that it had exceeded the “pain threshold” of Polish society.
Yushchenko, Kuchma, and Poroshenko have also declined the award.