Polish attitudes toward Ukrainians dip after UPA naming controversy

A dispute erupted after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy named a special‑operations unit the “Heroes of the UPA,” a group linked in Poland to the World War II massacres of Poles in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia. Polish President Andrzej Duda’s successor, Karol Nawrocki, responded by revoking Zelenskyy’s Order of the White Eagle, prompting a diplomatic row and heightened anti‑Ukrainian sentiment online.

A poll commissioned by IBRiS for Rzeczpospolita found that one‑third of Poles now view Ukrainians more negatively, with the shift most pronounced among opposition supporters, non‑voters, older respondents and residents of medium‑size towns. The survey also noted that the majority (about 61 %) said their attitudes remained unchanged. Experts say the controversy revives long‑standing historical grievances over the UPA’s role in wartime atrocities, influencing public opinion but not overturning the overall Polish support for Ukraine’s defence.

Activist Weronika Marczuk, head of the Friends of Ukraine Society, warned that the erosion of the “safe haven” image of Poland could harm Ukrainian refugees, especially children, and urged politicians to separate historical debates from the lives of present‑day Ukrainians.