Conflicts · Warsaw and Kyiv
Polish support for Ukraine's EU bid hits record low, polls show
Two July 2026 surveys reveal a sharp shift in Polish public opinion: 40% now oppose Ukraine joining the EU, the highest ever, while 44% would suspend military aid over historical disputes.
AI text based on reports by polsatnews.pl, Wprost, rmf24.pl and other publishers. Published . How it is made
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In brief
40% of Poles now oppose Ukraine joining the EU, the highest level in CBOS history, up 23 percentage points from October 2023.
55% support President Nawrocki's decision to revoke the Order of the White Eagle from Volodymyr Zelenskyy; only 27% oppose it.
44% would suspend military aid to Ukraine over UPA commemorations, while 41% say Poland should continue helping.
65% oppose sending Polish troops to supervise a future ceasefire or peace deal; 18% support such a mission.
55% expect the war to end with Ukrainian territorial concessions, though pessimism has eased since December 2025.
36% say their attitude toward Ukrainians has worsened since the war began; only 3% report an improvement.
A shift in Polish attitudes
Two polls published in late July 2026 capture a marked cooling of Polish public sentiment toward Ukraine and Ukrainians. A CBOS survey of 938 adults found that 40% now oppose Ukraine's membership in the European Union, the highest level since the pollster began tracking the question. The Opinia24 poll for "Polityka" (1,000 respondents, 13–15 July) shows 36% of Poles say their attitude toward Ukrainians has worsened since the full-scale war began, while only 3% report an improvement. The same survey records rising physical and verbal aggression against Ukrainians living in Poland, with police detaining suspects in recent cases.
EU accession: record opposition
The CBOS numbers reveal a steep decline in enthusiasm. While 50% still support Ukraine eventually joining the EU, only 9% want fast-track membership, the lowest figure ever recorded and down 9 percentage points from October 2023. The share favouring gradual integration fell by 15 points to 41%. Opposition, meanwhile, jumped 23 points from October 2023 to reach 40%. Resistance is strongest among right-wing respondents (53%) and the youngest cohort aged 18–24 (58%).
“Only 9% of respondents currently support the fastest possible EU membership for Ukraine, the lowest result in the history of these surveys (a drop of 9 percentage points since October 2023).”
The Opinia24 poll puts opposition to Poland supporting Ukraine's EU bid at 52%, with only 33% in favour.
- Fast-track (Oct 2023)
- 18 %
- Fast-track (Jul 2026)
- 9 %
- Gradual (Oct 2023)
- 56 %
- Gradual (Jul 2026)
- 41 %
- Oppose (Oct 2023)
- 17 %
- Oppose (Jul 2026)
- 40 %
Data from the article text
The Order of the White Eagle and military aid
President Karol Nawrocki's decision to strip Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle, announced nearly a month ago, retains broad backing: 55% support the move, 27% oppose it. The gesture has also boosted Nawrocki's overall approval ratings by more than 5 percentage points, according to Polityka. Support for revoking the order extends beyond his base, drawing around 30% of PSL and Poland 2050 voters and even 16% of Civic Coalition identifiers.
On military assistance, 44% of respondents would suspend aid to Ukraine because of the commemoration of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) there, while 41% say Poland should continue helping regardless. PiS prime ministerial candidate Przemysław Czarnek had earlier proposed a temporary halt to military aid after Zelenskyy named a Ukrainian unit after "Heroes of the UPA."
Peacekeeping and the war's endgame
Poles are overwhelmingly against sending their own troops to supervise a future ceasefire or peace deal: 65% oppose such a mission, 18% support it. On the war's trajectory, 55% of CBOS respondents expect Ukraine to make territorial concessions, a view dominant since December 2024. Yet pessimism has eased since December 2025: the share predicting partial territorial loss fell 8 points, and those foreseeing full Russian subjugation dropped from 8% to 6%. The proportion who believe Russian forces will withdraw rose from 8% to 14%, including 11% who expect a return to pre-February 2022 borders and 3% who think Kyiv will also regain territories lost in 2014.
How much help is enough?
Asked about Western military, financial and humanitarian support, 39% of Poles consider it sufficient. Another 27% say it is too much, a view concentrated among right-wing and Confederation supporters (48%) and the less educated, while 22% deem it insufficient, with older respondents (65+, 33%) and voters of ruling and left-wing parties (35%) most likely to hold that opinion.
- Support revoking order
- 55 %
- Oppose revoking
- 27 %
- Continue aid
- 41 %
- Suspend aid
- 44 %
- Support EU accession
- 33 %
- Oppose EU accession
- 52 %
- Oppose troops
- 65 %
- Support troops
- 18 %
Data from the article text
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Sources and context
- polsatnews.plCo Polacy sądzą o Ukraińcach? Wyniki sondażu mówią jasno
- WprostCoraz mniej Polaków chce Ukrainy w UE. Nowy sondaż pokazuje wyraźny zwrot
- rmf24.plJaki stosunek mają Polacy do Ukrainy i Ukraińców? Sondaż pokazuje podziały
- RzeczpospolitaPolacy nie chcą Ukrainy w UE, wielu wstrzymałoby też pomoc wojskową. Jest nowy sondaż
- Karol Nawrocki
- President of Poland who revoked the Order of the White Eagle from Volodymyr Zelenskyy
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy
- President of Ukraine whose Order of the White Eagle was revoked
- Przemysław Czarnek
- PiS candidate for prime minister who proposed suspending military aid to Ukraine
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