Presidential aide Ihor Zhovkva returns his Polish medal of friendship
When the relationship status with your neighbor officially changes to "it's complicated," sometimes you just have to return their stuff.
Back in 2022, Ihor Zhovkva, the deputy head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office, received a shiny Cavalier's Cross of the Order of Merit from Poland. It was given for building Ukrainian-Polish understanding. Fast forward to today, and he has officially decided to send it back.
No long explanations, no dramatic break-up letters. Just a polite "thanks, but no thanks." It seems keeping a medal for "mutual understanding" feels a bit awkward when the actual understanding has been heavily tested lately by border blockades and endless political bickering.
Returning a physical symbol of friendship is the geopolitical equivalent of returning a hoodie after a bad breakup.
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