Support for Ukraine is decreasing within Poland as Kyiv prepares to enter the fourth year of a war started by Vladimir Putin.
A new survey has found that over the last year the proportion of Poles opposed to providing military assistance to Kyiv has increased from just over a quarter to over one third. The survey also found an increase in negative attitudes toward Ukrainians in Poland, particularly among young people.
It comes as Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry rejected remarks by Polish President Andrzej Duda that traumatized Ukrainian soldiers returning from combat posed a risk.
Newsweek has contacted the Polish and Ukrainian Foreign Ministries for comment.
A woman draped in a Ukrainian flag takes part in a protest in front of the Russian embassy in Warsaw, Poland, on February 24, 2024.
A woman draped in a Ukrainian flag takes part in a protest in front of the Russian embassy in Warsaw, Poland, on February 24, 2024.
Wojtek Radwanski/Getty Images
Why It Matters
Poland has been a steadfast supporter of Ukraine, providing military and financial assistance as well as training for Kyiv’s armed forces. While it does not signal Warsaw will reduce the amount of help it provides for Kyiv, a survey that suggests cooling support from NATO member Poland for Ukraine as it fights Russian aggression could be significant.
What To Know
The study was conducted by polling firm ARC Rynek i Opinia at the request of the Mieroszewski Centre, which promotes ties between Warsaw and the peoples of eastern Europe. It surveyed 1,012 people aged 18 to 65 across Poland in November and December
Among the results that Ukrainian media focused on was the proportion of Poles who oppose military assistance for Ukraine increasing from 26 percent to 35 percent. The number who support military aid decreased by five percentage points to 49 percent.
Ukrainska Pravda reported another finding that suggested negative attitudes toward Ukrainians in Poland had increased over the past year from 27 percent to 30 percent with positive views dropping from 25 percent to 23 percent.
The Ukrainian news outlet said that the most concerning trend is a generational shift. Among Poles aged 45 and older, positive opinions of Ukrainians still outweigh negative ones. However, among young people, the opposite is true: only 16 percent viewed Ukrainians favorably compared with 37 percent who had a negative opinion.
The same news outlet said the survey showed “growing fatigue” about Poland’s Ukrainian community.
It comes as Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi said Kyiv disagreed with comments made by Polish President Andrez Duda to the Financial Times.
Duda said there could be a surge in cross-border crime caused by traumatized Ukrainian troops returning to ruined towns where there are no jobs or opportunities.
Duda has backed Ukraine but there have been tensions between Kyiv and Warsaw over the exhumation of Polish victims of World War II atrocities in Ukraine.
What People Are Saying
ARC Rynek i Opinia survey as reported by Ukrainaska Pravda: “Older Poles…often still see Ukrainians as a kindred people – once growing up together, later clashing over what they see as poor political choices, and now as neighbors who deserve help in times of hardship or Russian aggression.
“In contrast, younger generations are much more likely to view Ukraine as a foreign country.”
What Happens Next
The Kyiv Independent reported that the polls’ findings are largely in line with different surveys in Poland and other countries supporting Ukraine, showing a steady decrease in support for the Ukrainian military effort and refugees. This could pose problems for Ukraine if it is forced to rely on European aid to to make up for diminished U.S. assistance from the new administration of President Donald Trump.