Russian spokeswoman Zakharova calls Polish president Nawrocki 'clinically Russophobic' after anniversary speech backing Ukraine

Nawrocki's anniversary speech

On 6 August 2026, Karol Nawrocki marked the first anniversary of his inauguration as Polish president with a rally outside the Presidential Palace in Warsaw. Before a crowd of supporters, with rapper Eldo appearing on stage, Nawrocki addressed the war in Ukraine and Poland's strategic interests. He stated that it is in Poland's interest for Ukrainian soldiers to do as well as possible against the "post-Soviet Russian Federation" and to keep Russian forces as far from Poland as possible. He framed Polish support for Ukraine in blunt terms, using the derogatory Polish word "Moskal" for Russians.

Let them kill Soviets there who attacked them, and it doesn't hurt us Poles at all. In this regard, they can always count on our help, because where Moskal is being beaten, Poland helps, even if it doesn't participate directly in this war. This is the strategic interest of Poland.

Nawrocki also said the strategic interest of Poland includes ensuring that "Banderite flags do not fly in Warsaw and Poland," adding that Poland can help while also making demands and insisting on a partnership based on mutual understanding.

Zakharova's response

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova published a lengthy post on Telegram on 7 August, accusing Nawrocki of "clinical Russophobia" that "evidently affects cognitive abilities." She called him a "Gdansk museum worker," referencing his former role as director of the Museum of the Second World War in Gdansk. Zakharova charged that Nawrocki "regularly uses hate speech" and cited his use of the word "Moskal" as a typical example, saying it had become the norm among Polish elites.

The Gdansk museum worker forgot that Russia and Poland have a direct border. There is no Ukraine or Ukrainians between us. Previously this was a border of mutually beneficial cooperation, which thanks to the efforts of the Nawrockis and Sikorskis has been completely erased.

Zakharova also claimed that modern Poland "owes its existence to the Red Army" and personally to Stalin, suggesting Nawrocki's stance stems from "historical complexes and powerless anger." She accused him and his allies of taking revenge by dismantling Soviet monuments and "waging war on fallen Soviet heroes." She referenced a past incident when Nawrocki, as museum director, interrupted a performance of the song "Ciemna noc," calling it a Bolshevik piece, which she described as a "panic reaction."

Background on Poland-Ukraine tensions

The speech comes amid strained relations between Warsaw and Kyiv. In June 2026, Nawrocki revoked the Order of the White Eagle from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after Zelensky honored a military unit with the name of "UPA heroes," referencing the Ukrainian Insurgent Army that killed Poles in Volhynia in 1943-1945. Zelensky subsequently announced plans for a National Pantheon that would include Ukrainian nationalists linked to the Volhynia massacre, with the Ukrainian parliament approving the draft law. In early July, Nawrocki and Zelensky met at the NATO summit in Ankara, where Nawrocki told journalists they did not reach agreement on historical issues.

Broader Russian rhetoric

Zakharova's attack on Nawrocki follows a similar outburst against French President Emmanuel Macron, whom she accused in an interview with Komsomolskaya Pravda on 6 August of "issuing orders for terrorist attacks on civilians" after he called for increased pressure on Russia. Nawrocki is also on a Russian wanted list for his role in dismantling Soviet monuments in Poland during his tenure at the Institute of National Remembrance. Unlike his predecessor Andrzej Duda, Nawrocki has not made an official visit to Ukraine since taking office.