Poland’s president-elect, Karol Nawrocki, has called on Ukraine to take Polish historical grievances more seriously, signalling a tougher stance toward Kyiv ahead of his swearing-in on 6 August.
Nawrocki, who was elected on 1 June with the backing of the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, campaigned on adopting a firmer position regarding Ukraine’s bids to join the EU and NATO, and on resolving long-standing disputes, particularly the World War II Volhynia massacre.
“Karol Nawrocki stressed that he represents the voice of the Nation, which demands a change in Ukraine’s approach to important and still unresolved historical issues. This needs to change,” his spokesperson Rafał Leśkiewicz wrote on X.
In November 2024, the foreign ministers of Poland and Ukraine reported progress on the issue and said they were working toward the exhumation of victims. A year earlier, President Andrzej Duda and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy jointly marked the 80th anniversary of the massacre.
Despite his sharper tone, Nawrocki reaffirmed Poland’s support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.
