Zelenskyy accuses Polish president of stoking anti-Ukrainian sentiment

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday accused Polish President Karol Nawrocki of seeking political advantages by stoking anti-Ukrainian sentiment ahead of Poland’s 2027 parliamentary elections. In an interview with the Ukrainian United News telethon, Zelenskyy compared Nawrocki’s actions to those of former Hungarian leader Viktor Orban and warned that such policies would ultimately backfire. “He is continuing the political struggle, in principle, within his state, by raising the mood of hatred towards Ukrainians. What Orban did, and I think it will end badly,” he said.

Tensions over UPA and state honour

Nawrocki on Friday revoked the Order of the White Eagle, Poland’s highest state decoration, following outrage over Kyiv’s decision to name a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). Polish historians hold the UPA responsible for the mass killing of Polish civilians in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia during World War II. Nawrocki stressed that the move was directed at the Ukrainian government, not the Ukrainian people, and did not signal a change in Poland’s strategic support for Ukraine. Zelenskyy said Saturday that he has returned the honour but remains open to dialogue.

Risks of radicalisation

Zelenskyy warned that attempts to gain political support by stoking hostility toward a neighbouring nation risk further radicalising society and “can end in a very bad escalation.” He stressed that Ukrainians are defending not only their own country but also the security of Poland and the rest of Europe.