Polish Opposition to Ukraine's EU Accession Rises Sharply

Nearly six in ten Poles now oppose Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, up from four in ten a year ago, according to two IBRiS opinion polls cited by Polish media.

The latest survey, conducted for Radio ZET, found that 59.7% of respondents oppose Ukrainian membership. Last year, an IBRiS poll for Defence24 and the Stand With Ukraine initiative put that figure at 42%.

The comparison suggests that public opinion has hardened. While support for Ukraine’s EU membership has remained broadly stable at around 35%, the share of undecided respondents has fallen from roughly one-quarter to just 5%, with most appearing to have shifted into the opposition camp.

Poland has been one of Ukraine’s staunchest 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 integration into the EU and NATO.

Despite Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s continued backing for Ukraine’s EU bid, the issue has become increasingly contentious in Poland, fueled by disputes over agriculture and historical grievances.

Relations have further deteriorated since last month over the ‘Heroes of the UPA’ controversy, with Warsaw accusing Kiev of glorifying a nationalist movement implicated in wartime massacres of Poles.

Polish President Karol Nawrocki said that for “the vast majority of Polish society,” the UPA remains synonymous with atrocities committed against Poles during World War II. Poland officially recognizes the Volhynia massacres carried out by the UPA and affiliated Ukrainian formations as genocide, and several senior Polish politicians have argued that Kiev cannot expect Warsaw’s support for EU membership until the dispute is resolved.

Meanwhile, Polish farmers have continued to protest, arguing that Ukraine’s preferential access to the EU market has created unfair competition. They warn that Ukraine’s eventual accession could further erode their market share and reduce Poland’s share of EU agricultural subsidies. In February, Deputy Parliament Speaker Piotr Zgorzelski warned that fast-tracking Ukraine into the bloc would “spell the death of Polish agriculture.”