Polish public largely opposes Ukraine's EU accession as bilateral tensions rise

A June 2026 IBRiS poll of 1,068 adults found that 59.7 % of Poles are against Ukraine joining the European Union, while only 35.3 % support accession. Support is strongest among voters of the ruling coalition (64 % in favor) and weakest among opposition voters (73 % opposed).

The diplomatic climate has further deteriorated after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy named a military unit after the “UPA heroes” and was subsequently stripped of Poland’s Order of the White Eagle by President Karol Nawrocki, who also recorded a record‑high trust rating of 54.8 % in a separate IBRiS survey. Zelenskyy cancelled his visit to Poland; the Ukrainian delegation to the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) in Gdańsk was led by Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko.

Polish‑Ukrainian relations are also strained at the societal level. Reports describe increased anti‑Ukrainian sentiment, allegations of Ukrainian intelligence activity in Poland, and Ukrainian residents expressing fear of harassment.

Economically, Poland’s exports to Ukraine exceeded 56.9 billion zł in 2025, making Ukraine the seventh‑largest buyer of Polish goods, with fuel, vehicles, machinery, electronics and food products leading the trade.

The URC in Gdańsk, attended by EU officials and business leaders, aims to channel billions of euros for Ukraine’s post‑war reconstruction, but the historic dispute over UPA commemorations threatens to cloud Poland’s role in the process.