“At the moment, I am against Ukraine’s entry into the European Union,” Polish President-elect Karol Nawrocki told Hungarian outlet Mandiner in an interview released on June 7.
“On the one hand, we must support Ukraine in its conflict with the Russian Federation, but Ukraine must understand that other countries, including Poland, Hungary, and other European countries, also have their own interests,” he said.
Nawrocki won the second round of the Polish presidential election on June 1 with 50.89% of the vote. He has previously voiced opposition to Ukraine’s membership in the EU and NATO, despite supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Paid in full with rubles
This isn’t Russia, just nationalism. The right in Poland doesn’t want Ukrainian immigrants coming in and “taking polish jobs,” especially since a lot of Ukrainians will want to leave their country that Russia destroyed.
Not everything has to be some 3d chess move by putin the puppet master. You’re giving Russian diplomacy and spy craft far more credit than it deserves.
This is Russia. Ukrainian immigrants are already here and have been here for decades. And the right wing party plays right into Russia’s playbook and have been for a very long time. That’s why this election had a record turnout and why it was so close. And even with that, it seems like there are plenty of “election errors” in cities where a specific location wrote numbers backwards - always in the benefit of Nawrocki and the loss of Trzaskowski. What’s happening is a farce, plain and simple.
Until other European countries use this as an excuse to kick out polish workers and they’ll complain about the lack of solidarity.
For as long as Ukraine is celebrating UPA and Bandera and ignores genocide performed on Poles, defying any attempts to repair relations with Poland, there is no place for them in the same institutions as Poland currently is.
Yeah shower me with downvotes. Read some history first, then check recent Ukrainian government outcry after recent polish parliament (governed by opposition to the new president) new legislation. Don’t you think something is not right here?
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/06/08/ukraine-turns-on-poland-ww2-massacre-commemoration/
This is a problem which must be solved and not swiped under the rug as this can only cause destabilization and flammable relations potentially causing real serious conflicts between two EU an/or NATO members.
Maybe give us a quick synopsis? I live in neither country so I don’t know the nuances you’re referring to. Did Ukraine officially say something against Poland? Or a portion of Polish government? You’re pointing to a blog post and not a news outlet, so that’s a very niche source and not typically deemed credible in the US (where I live). If you have a link to like The Guardian, or something like that, I’d absolutely believe it.
Also would help in general to cite English language sources in a discussion that happens in English.
First of all, thank you for stopping for a second instead of blindly downvoting.
I have edited the link in my previous post. Is telegraph OK?
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/06/08/ukraine-turns-on-poland-ww2-massacre-commemoration/
This is not an isolated incident, you will find more. Ukraine says that Poles are the ones destroying relations. This simply hurts. Poland’s help in the face of common enemy was unconditional. I have personally rented my flat for free to Ukrainian refugees. Two families with kids. Their kids had free access to Polish health and education system and even social benefits were granted on the same or even better rules as for Poles. This is not enough?
Ukraine is actively blocking exhumations of massacre casualties. Why?
This is why I read the most upvoted comment here that he was paid in rubbles as anti Polish propaganda, the same people who oppose Trump’s fascism support Ukrainian government without knowing their history and values that they try to build their national identity on, whose soldiers are fighting on the battlefield wearing Nazi insignias… How can this not be just plain emotionally hurting?
EDIT: If you are interested, here is an article from 15 years ago when world was a different place, describing what Bandera did and why this topic is so fragile today.
https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/02/world/europe/02history.html
Thanks for linking those. I can tell you that most people that know English as a first language have very little to no knowledge about the history between Poland and Ukraine. Like many things in the international world, it’s very complicated. But now I understand it a little better. I would agree that Poland is under no obligation to support a government that can’t seem to separate it’s independence from fascist leaders of the past, which does raise questions about the direction of the future. Yes, Ukraine needs to be free. They need an the help they can get. But what if they win, and fascism takes hold?
I mean, look at how the US is falling to fascism. People aren’t careful enough.
The reality is poles don’t give two shits about bandera, only rightwing idiots do. It is the same bullcrap as the “did you even say thank you” the americans pulled on Zelensky.
Thank you for reading and having an open mind. I just wish more commenters are like you.
Now you can see how Ukraine, using its popularity, can easily manipulate the perception of their country at the same time building negative narrative about this bad neighbor Poland that only wants to hurt their relations. What is their goal? To isolate Poland in international politics?
Sadly (or luckily?), Polish president-elect words, as quoted in this context, is not far-right nationalist rhetoric, it’s literally the opposite. Now you see how easy it is to misinterpret that (just look at other comments).
You can also see, with this historical context, what Putin meant saying his special military operation is for denazifiacation of Ukraine (but we are not that stupid to fall for this).