Polish public support for Ukraine’s accession to the European Union and NATO has dropped dramatically since the early days of Russia’s full-scale invasion, according to a new study.
Only 35% of Poles now believe their country should support Ukraine’s EU accession and just 37% back Ukraine’s NATO membership. Furthermore, 42% oppose Polish support for either path. This marks a steep decline from IBRiS polling conducted shortly after the 2022 invasion, when 85% supported Ukraine’s EU membership and 75% supported NATO accession.
Poland’s government, under Prime Minister Donald Tusk, has remained outwardly supportive of Kyiv. In May, Warsaw signed a bilateral agreement with Ukraine pledging to back its EU membership talks. And since the start of the war, Poland has been among Ukraine’s most active allies. But political shifts at home have mirrored the changing public mood. Nawrocki, who eventually won the presidential runoff, represents the increasingly skeptical view now gaining ground in Polish politics.
When it comes to resolving the war, most Poles appear to favor diplomacy over escalation. 62% say Ukraine should hold peace talks with Russia even without a ceasefire, and 35% believe Kyiv should accept some territorial loss to end the war.
