Polish President Karol Nawrocki rescinded his country’s highest civilian award from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday. Why? On May 26, Zelensky honored Ukrainian nationalist fighters whom Poland has long held responsible for killing tens of thousands of Poles in 1943. Kyiv, for its part, remembers them as fighting the Soviet Union. The two countries remain allies against Russia, but the rift could complicate efforts to rebuff Moscow.
Hard Numbers
WWII-related dispute rocks Ukraine-Poland relations
Farida Dowidar
By Zac WeiszJune 22, 2026
Zac Weisz
Zac reports on global affairs, covering everything from battles between judicial branches and political leaders, to conflicts in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. With the Trump administration keen to alter the world order, though, there’s a heavy emphasis right now on US politics – an area with which he is intimately familiar. Prior to joining GZERO, Zac was a senior national politics correspondent at National Journal, where he covered the 2024 presidential election from its inception to the dramatic finish, as well as major congressional actions during the Biden administration. Prior to journalism, Zac worked as an economic analyst for Oxford Economics, calculating the impact of various tax policies, and of Britain’s exit from the European Union. Born in London, he currently resides in New York City, where you can find him playing football (the original version) or watching it on television while attempting to cook up a storm.
