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Women and children who fled war-town Ukraine walk to board a train to transport them to Przemysl in Poland. File
| Photo Credit: Getty Images
In the early months of 2022, as Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, millions of Ukrainians — mostly women and children — fled to Poland, where they were met with an extraordinary outpouring of sympathy.
Three years later, Poland remains one of Ukraine’s staunchest allies — a hub for Western arms deliveries and a vocal defender of Kyiv’s interests. But at home, the tone toward Ukrainians has shifted.
Nearly a million Ukrainian refugees remain in Poland.
As Poland heads into a presidential election on May 18 the growing fatigue with helping Ukrainians has become so noticeable that some of the candidates have judged that they can win more votes by vowing less help for Ukrainians.
Among those to transform the shift in mood into campaign politics is conservative candidate Karol Nawrocki, who is the Law and Justice party’s chosen candidate and one of the frontrunners.
Mr. Nawrocki said if he wins, he will introduce legislation that would prioritise Polish citizens over Ukrainians. Further to the right, candidate Sławomir Mentzen and his Confederation party accused Ukrainians of taking advantage of Polish generosity.
At a rally of a far-right candidate, Grzegorz Braun, his supporters pulled down an Ukrainian flag . The political center is adjusting too.
Rafał Trzaskowski, the liberal-minded mayor of Warsaw from Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s centrist party , proposed that only Ukrainian refugees who “work, live and pay taxes” in Poland be granted access to the popular “800+” child benefit.
Published – May 12, 2025 11:54 am IST
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Poland’s changing view on Ukrainian refugees ahead of presidential polls
