Key facts
- Poland's nationalist right is increasingly using anti-Ukrainian rhetoric for political gain.
- Sympathy among Poles toward Ukrainians has fallen significantly, with antipathy rising.
- Disputes over wartime massacres and historical policy are key drivers of negative sentiment.
- The number of ethnically motivated crimes against Ukrainians in Poland has increased.
- Prime Minister Donald Tusk has criticized President Karol Nawrocki for remaining silent on the issue of violence against Ukrainians.
Poland's nationalist right is increasingly leveraging anti-Ukrainian sentiment into a political issue, tapping into local resentments over social benefits and historical disputes, just over a year before a pivotal parliamentary election. Politicians began portraying Ukrainians as freeloaders straining public finances during the 2025 presidential campaign.
This summer, Polish President Karol Nawrocki revoked the Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest honor, from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in response to Zelenskyy's decision to name a military unit after the World War II-era Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). The UPA was responsible for murdering tens of thousands of Poles during an ethnic-cleansing campaign in 1943-1945, though it also fought against the Soviet Union.
While Warsaw has been a strong supporter of Kyiv against Russia, the nationalist camp, which Nawrocki aims to lead, is capitalizing on tensions surrounding the Ukrainian presence in Poland and the wartime massacres. Anti-Ukrainian rhetoric is intensifying ahead of the fall 2027 parliamentary election, where Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s pro-Ukraine coalition will face the nationalist Law and Justice party and other far-right groups.
Political figures like Gregorz Braun of the Confederation of the Polish Crown party have labeled the "Kyiv regime" as an enemy, while Przemysław Czarnek of the Law and Justice party has called for suspending military aid to Ukraine until it changes its historical policy. Rafał Pankowski, a sociology professor and anti-racism advocate, noted that while broad support for Ukraine persists, populist rhetoric is creating fertile ground for hostility and violence, with Russian propaganda also exploiting the situation.
Ukrainian Ambassador Vasyl Bodnar expressed concern over politicians using Ukraine as a wedge issue, with different political groups packaging the narrative differently. For many Ukrainians living in Poland, the increased hostility has led to fear and alienation, with some hesitant to speak Ukrainian in public. Opinion polls reflect this shift, showing a decline in Polish sympathy toward Ukrainians from 51 percent in 2023 to 29 percent in January 2026, while antipathy rose from 38 percent to 43 percent.
Surveys indicate that disputes over wartime massacres and historical policy are the primary reasons for this deterioration, followed by concerns over social benefits. Incidents of verbal harassment have been reported, and for some, the hostility has escalated to physical violence. In July, two Ukrainians were assaulted outside a grocery store in Wrocław, an attack denounced by Poland's Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński. Another incident involved an off-duty bus company employee verbally abusing three Ukrainians, including children, on a bus.
The Polish police recorded 180 reports of ethnically motivated crimes against Ukrainians in the first half of the year, a 30 percent increase from the same period last year. In response, Polish prosecutors have established specialist teams to investigate hate crimes, with Ukrainians being victims in over 80 percent of cases sent to court. Prime Minister Tusk has urged President Nawrocki to publicly condemn the violence, stating that attackers feel emboldened by perceived political patronage. The Roman Catholic Church has also appealed against fueling nationalistic sentiments.