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Former Polish Prime Minister Leszek Miller has called on Ukrainian officials to return military equipment Poland supplied during the war with Russia, including MiG fighter jets and tanks. The provocation came after Ukrainian officials returned Polish state awards in solidarity with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The diplomatic row traces back to May 29, 2026, when Zelensky awarded the “Heroes of the UPA” title to a Ukrainian military unit. The Ukrainian Insurgent Army, or UPA, is a deeply contentious subject in Polish-Ukrainian relations due to its actions during World War II. Polish President Karol Nawrocki responded by revoking Zelensky’s Order of the White Eagle, one of Poland’s highest state honors.
A spiral of symbolic gestures
The tit-for-tat didn’t stop there. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha declined a Polish award on June 19, 2026, as a direct protest against the revocation of Zelensky’s honor.
Miller, who served as Poland’s prime minister from 2001 to 2004, escalated the rhetoric further. His logic: if Ukrainian officials are going to return Polish medals, they might as well return the jets and tanks too.
Historical wounds driving modern politics
The UPA question isn’t new. Poland views the UPA’s wartime actions, particularly in Volhynia, as ethnic cleansing. Ukraine’s nationalist movements have periodically honored UPA fighters as independence heroes.
Zelensky’s decision to attach the UPA name to a modern military unit effectively poured gasoline on a fire that both governments had been carefully managing. The revocation of the Order of the White Eagle was unprecedented in the context of the two countries’ wartime alliance.
What this means for broader European stability
Crypto markets have shown no reaction to the dispute, and there is no identifiable connection between this diplomatic episode and digital asset activity.
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