Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky announced he has returned Poland's top honor after Polish leader Karol Nawrocki revoked the award.

The Polish Order of the White Eagle was presented to Zelensky in 2023 by former President Andrzej Duda.

Kyiv drew strong criticism last month by renaming a Ukrainian military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), a World War Two group viewed as controversial.

Three senior Ukrainian officials have also chosen to return Polish awards in a show of solidarity with their president.

Many Ukrainians see the UPA, active in the 1940s and 1950s, as heroes who battled for independence against Soviet, Nazi and Polish forces. The group's red and black flag remains common among troops on the front lines today.

Poland accuses the UPA of genocide against roughly 100,000 ethnic Poles in Volhynia during 1943-45.

In a social media statement, Zelensky said Ukraine would stay open to meaningful talks with Poland to prevent conflicting views of painful shared history.

He noted Ukraine's gratitude to the Polish people for their support and cooperation.

Poland has stood as one of Ukraine's strongest allies in the war with Russia by accepting hundreds of thousands of refugees and acting as a key logistics point for aid.

Polish President Karol Nawrocki called Ukraine's decision to honor the UPA outrageous and deeply disappointing.

For most Poles the UPA is remembered mainly for brutal crimes against Polish citizens in World War Two, Nawrocki said in a video on the official presidential site.

The move harms historical memory and weakens years of built trust, he added.

Nawrocki stressed that the dispute would not affect Poland's support for Ukraine against Russia.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on social media that any conflict between the two nations pleases Russia's Vladimir Putin and urged Zelensky and Nawrocki to reduce tensions.

Ukraine seeks EU membership and took part in the first round of accession talks this week in Luxembourg.