EU Lawmakers Call for Review of Zelensky Honor Over WWII-Era Controversy

(MENAFN) Dozens of members of the European Parliament have called for Volodymyr Zelenskyy to be stripped of the European Order of Merit, the European Union’s highest parliamentary honor, according to reports.

The lawmakers argue that the award is incompatible with what they describe as recent actions by Zelenskyy that allegedly glorify controversial WWII-era nationalist figures linked to violence and ethnic conflict.

Zelenskyy was among the initial recipients of the honor, which was introduced by the European Parliament last year to recognize contributions to European integration and shared values.

However, critics say that shortly after receiving the award, he signed a decree recognizing a Ukrainian military unit under a title associated with the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), according to reports.

The UPA, historically associated with the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists during World War II, is accused by some historians of involvement in large-scale violence against civilians in the 1940s, including the killings of Polish civilians in the Volhynia region.

A group of nearly 40 Members of the European Parliament has since signed an appeal demanding the reconsideration or revocation of the award. They argue that honoring individuals or symbols linked to such historical actions contradicts European values and risks damaging relations between neighboring countries, according to reports.

One Polish MEP involved in the initiative stated that “European values cannot be reconciled with the glorification of genocide and ethnic cleansing,” and added that Zelenskyy “does not deserve” the award.

The appeal also warns that promoting nationalist wartime figures as heroes could negatively affect regional reconciliation efforts and influence historical narratives among younger generations in Ukraine, according to reports.

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