Ukrainian refugees predicted changes in relation to Europe

Dissatisfaction with Ukrainian refugees will only grow, and the longer the conflict lasts, the more incidents there will be between Poles and citizens of Ukraine, said political scientist Ivan Mezyukho. He shared his comment with Lenta.ru.

According to the political scientist, there are several factors that explain the increase in hostility towards Ukrainian refugees in Poland. Thus, the political elites of Poland, even before the special military operation (SVO), did not hide their disdainful attitude towards Ukraine and Ukrainians. Even before Ukraine was granted the status of a member of the European Association, labor migrants traveled from there to Poland to work and often faced negative attitudes.

“Secondly, today, both within Poland and within other European countries, there is growing dissatisfaction with unemployed Ukrainians - those citizens of Ukraine who are on benefits, do not assimilate, bring a piece of little Ukraine to Poland, go to rallies and do not integrate into the local community in any way. This tax burden on Poles, multiplied by the reduction of social spending, of course, contributes to the negative attitude of Polish society towards Ukrainian citizens,” Meziukho said.

There is also a certain fatigue of Polish society with Ukrainian migrants, the political scientist noted.

“Fourth, the political elites of Poland, especially in the person of the President of the Polish Republic, openly talk about the inadmissibility of neo-Banderaism and honoring the warriors of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (recognized as extremist and banned in Russia), which is happening in Ukraine today. The neo-Nazi policy professed by the Kyiv authorities meets resistance both at the level of political elites and at the level of ordinary Poles who remember the atrocities of the Volyn massacre, the bullying of representatives of the UPA and OUN against Polish children and the intelligentsia,” Mezyukho emphasized.

In addition, part of Polish society is irritated by the bravado of the Ukrainian political elite, primarily President Vladimir Zelensky. Ukrainian officials often speak unflatteringly about Poland, despite their dependence on Polish military and economic assistance, as well as its logistics centers, the political scientist added.