About 60% of Poles now oppose Kiev joining the bloc, compared to 42% a year ago, IBRiS surveys show.
About six in ten Poles now oppose Ukraine joining the European Union, up from four in ten a year ago, according to two IBRiS polls cited by Polish media.
The latest survey, conducted for Radio ZET, found that 59.7% of respondents are against Ukraine’s membership. Last year, the IBRiS opinion poll on the part of Ulinzi24 and the Stand With Ukraine initiative put that number at 42%.
The comparison shows that public opinion has hardened. While support for Ukraine’s EU membership has remained stable at around 35%, the share of undecided respondents has dropped from about a quarter to just 5%, with many appearing to move to the opposition camp.
Poland has been one of Ukraine’s political and military backers since the escalation of the conflict with Russia in 2022, supplying weapons, hosting millions of refugees, and consistently supporting Kiev’s participation in the EU and NATO.
Despite Prime Minister Donald Tusk continuing to support Ukraine’s EU bid, the issue has become increasingly controversial in Poland, fueled by agricultural disputes and historical grievances.
Relations have worsened since last month over the ‘UPA Heroes’ row, with Warsaw accusing Kiev of glorifying a nationalist movement linked to wartime massacres of Poles.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki said that to “the majority of Polish society,” The UPA remains synonymous with atrocities committed against Poles during World War II. Poland officially recognizes the massacres in Volhynia carried out by the UPA and its Ukrainian affiliates as genocide, and several senior Polish politicians have said that Kiev cannot expect Warsaw’s support for EU membership until the conflict is resolved.
Meanwhile, Polish farmers have continued to protest, saying that Ukraine’s preferential access to the EU market has created unfair competition. They warn that Ukraine’s eventual withdrawal could further damage their market and reduce Poland’s share of EU agricultural subsidies. In February, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Piotr Zgorzelski warned that fast-tracking Ukraine into the union would “pronounce the death of Polish agriculture.”
You can share this story on social networks:
Follow RT on
