Russian invasion

The world's response
Polish president wants to revoke Zelensky's award

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has chosen to name one of the country's special forces after a nationalist guerrilla army during World War II. Now the decision is receiving strong criticism from Poland, reports AFP.

The reason is that the army, which went by the name of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, murdered up to 100,000 Poles during the war with the aim of creating an "ethnically pure" Ukraine.

Polish President Karol Nawrocki is furious with Zelensky's decision. He now wants to revoke Poland's highest civilian award, the "Order of the White Eagle", which the Ukrainian president was awarded three years ago.

Nobel laureate: Zelensky has insulted me

Former Polish President Lech Walesa writes on Facebook that he "refuses to support" Volodymyr Zelensky. The reason is the Ukrainian president's decision to name a special unit after a guerrilla army that committed ethnic cleansing against Poles during World War II, reports AFP.

"By drawing attention to those bandits, the Ukrainian president has insulted me and all our murdered compatriots. That is why I have removed the Ukrainian flag from my chest," writes Walesa.

As leader of the Polish trade union Solidarity, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983. From 1990 to 1995, he was President of Poland.
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Change of power in Hungary
Magyar: Hungary will not send weapons to Ukraine

Hungary will not send any weapons or military equipment to Ukraine, writes the new Prime Minister Péter Magyar on Facebook.

The message was given in a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Thursday. Magyar adds that Hungary “will once again be a reliable partner in the world’s most powerful defense alliance”.

Magyar has signaled a more pro-Ukrainian stance than his predecessor Viktor Orbán, who was the EU’s most pro-Kremlin leader and painted Ukraine and President Zelensky as a threat to Hungary.

“Ukraine is the victim and has every right to defend its territorial integrity,” Magyar said last week, according to RBC-Ukraine.

Hungarian voters, however, are skeptical about helping Ukraine. In an opinion poll a few days before the April elections, only one in four said Hungary should support the country economically, writes DW.