Czech lawmakers propose revoking Zelenskyy's Order of the White Lion

Zelenskyy Order of the White Lion Czech parliament SPD proposal UPA controversy

Members of the Czech Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party, led by parliamentary club chairman Jindřich Rajchl, plan to ask President Petr Pavel to strip Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Lion, the Czech Republic’s highest state decoration. Rajchl cited Poland’s recent decision, made by President Karol Nawrocki, to rescind Zelenskyy’s Order of the White Eagle after Ukraine approved the name “Heroes of the UPA” for a military unit, arguing that the Czech honour should not be held by someone linked to controversial historical commemorations.

Zelenskyy received the Order of the White Lion in October 2022 from President Miloš Zeman for his decision to stay in Kyiv during the Russian invasion. The SPD proposal will be presented to the coalition cabinet and then to the parliament, where opposition parties—including KDU‑CSL, the Civic Democratic Party, TOP 09 and STAN—have already voiced criticism, calling the move politicised and harmful to Czech support for Ukraine. The debate highlights lingering regional sensitivities over the legacy of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), which is condemned in Poland for wartime atrocities.

If approved, Zelenskyy would become the first recipient to lose the Czech White Lion, echoing the singular Polish revocation of the White Eagle.