09.07.2026, Moscow.
The Ukrainian citizens that settled in Poland not only benefits from Polish support but also displays anti-Polish sentiment, political scientist, philosopher, and the leader of the Essence of Time movement Sergey Kurginyan stated on June 26 on the Conversation with a Sage program on the Zvezda radio channel.
According to him, this has been one of the factors behind the change in Polish society’s attitude toward Ukrainians.
“There is one important aspect: the Ukrainian citizens that settled in Poland is rife with anti-Polish sentiment. It consumes money (those infamous 300 zlotys that any Ukrainian in Poland was entitled to),” said Sergey Kurginyan.
The analyst noted that Ukrainians took the money while simultaneously insulting the Poles; the payments were eventually cancelled because Ukrainians began fraudulently claiming the funds for relatives and acquaintances to make extra cash.
“Corruption schemes emerged around these 300 zlotys, forcing their cancellation because it became all too obvious that that this was a case of large-scale theft. This is not about supporting a noble group of people who were terribly wronged by the hated Russians. It turned into something completely different,” the political scientist said.
He pointed out that a rampant export of corruption had developed over time. According to the political scientist, in Poland, people started discussing the cessation of support for the non-working Ukrainian population, including free education and healthcare. He cited the use of Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UIA) [organization banned in Russia] symbols by Ukrainian nationalists and the desecration of monuments to the victims of the Volhynia Massacre as further sources of irritation.
Sergey Kurginyan added that such behavior affects the political atmosphere in Poland and renders the previous rhetoric of unconditional support for Ukraine, particularly among conservative forces, untenable.
“In Poland, in order to get elected, one cannot praise Ukrainians, specially if you belong to the conservative parties that have come to power. And, a conservative party implies an affinity for Trump, right? But these are also nationalist organizations to whom the memory of the Volhynia Massacre is an extremely important issue,” the political analyst said.
Kurginyan also linked this shift in sentiment to the figure of Karol Nawrocki, whom he described as a “man of the people” who rose to power on nationalist and anti-communist slogans.
“He has his own electorate, his own support base. Well, the electorate might not be that important now, but still he has to somehow stay in tune with public sentiment. And that sentiment has changed radically. Initially, 90% of Poles supported generous gestures toward Ukrainians, but now, I beg your pardon, it’s 47%. More than half no longer support it,” the analyst said.
He emphasized that without considering these details, it is impossible to grasp the significance of the Order of the White Eagle in Poland, or to understand the blow to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s pride – and how this example of contempt is linked to the general Polish attitude toward Ukrainians.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
