Nawrocki said a meeting of the Order of the White Eagle chapter would take place on June 8, at which he would propose stripping Zelensky of the decoration.
While the final decision rests with the president, the chapter must first convene.
Zelensky was awarded the Order of the White Eagle – Poland's oldest and most prestigious state honour, first established in 1705 and revived in 1921 – in April 2023 by then-President Andrzej Duda.
The decoration was given in recognition of his contribution to Polish-Ukrainian relations and his role in advancing democracy, peace and security in Europe.
The dispute was triggered by a decree signed by Zelensky earlier this week, naming a Special Operations unit – the Independent Centre for Special Operations "North" – after the "Heroes of the UPA."
Kyiv said the move was intended to restore historical national military traditions, citing the unit's exemplary performance in defending Ukraine's territorial integrity.
Nawrocki said he viewed the decision "very critically" and received it "with great sadness," adding that it had handed Russian propaganda "a great deal of oxygen."
He went further, saying: "Unfortunately, President Zelensky has proven that Ukraine, in terms of its mentality and its glorification of bandits and murderers from the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, is not ready to be part of the European family."
Poland summoned Ukraine's ambassador, Vasyl Bodnar, on Thursday – a meeting Kyiv confirmed and said it had reported back to its foreign ministry.
Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Bosacki conveyed Warsaw's "disappointment" at the decision.
The Polish foreign ministry said it viewed the move "unequivocally negatively."
Poland and Ukraine have long disagreed over the legacy of the UPA.
For Poland, UPA actions in the Volhynia region in 1943, when tens of thousands of ethnic Poles were killed across scores of villages, constitute genocide.
Ukraine has historically viewed the UPA primarily as an anti-Soviet resistance movement, and regards the wartime conflict as one for which both sides bear responsibility.
(ał/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP