Election of nationalist, right-wing Karol Nawrocki as Poland’s new president earlier this month, has raised concerns over Warsaw’s position on Ukraine, particularly on the country’s ongoing war with Russia.
Nawrocki won the second round of the presidential election on June 1 with 50.89% of the vote, followed by pro-EU candidate Rafal Trzaskowski supported by Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Although supporting Ukraine’s territorial integrity during his pre-election campaign, Nawrocki had voiced his opposition to the country’s integration to the European Union and NATO and criticized Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
In his first remarks regarding Ukraine after his election, Nawrocki reiterated his rejection of Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. "At the moment, I am against Ukraine's entry into the European Union,” Nawrocki said in an interview with a Hungarian media on June 7.
“On the one hand, we must support Ukraine in its conflict with the Russian Federation, but Ukraine must understand that other countries, including Poland, Hungary, and other European countries, also have their own interests," Nawrocki stated. "I see Ukraine as a country that, although it is very bravely defending itself against Russia must also respect the interests of other countries that otherwise support Ukraine," he went on saying.
Unlike Vladimir Putin’s other European allies, such as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Slovakian Prime minister Robert Fico, Nawrocki does not support Russia’s full-fledged invasion of Ukraine that started three years ago, but has accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zeleskiy of taking advantage of Kyiv’s Western allies.
"It is a post-imperial, neo-communist state led by Vladimir Putin, a war criminal. I am very critical of the Russian Federation, where I am being persecuted, by the way, as the president of the Institute of National Memory. I face a five-year prison sentence," Nawrocki told the Hungarian media outlet.
Nawrocki’s remarks are in stark contrast to the position of Poland’s outgoing government under Prime Minister Donald Tusk that has unequivocally maintained Poland's position as one of Ukraine's strongest allies. This includes ongoing military, financial, and humanitarian aid. The new administration has emphasized the importance of a Ukrainian victory for Poland's own security and for the stability of Europe.
