Record number of Poles opposed to Ukraine’s EU membership
Support for Ukraine’s accession remains a majority view but has dropped from 90% after Russia’s 2022 invasion.
A record 40% of Poles now oppose Ukraine's EU membership, according to a CBOS survey. This sharp rise in opposition comes as support for Ukraine's accession within the EU has plunged 24 percentage points since October 2023, dropping to a record low of 40%. In contrast, 50% of respondents still support Ukraine joining the EU, though this is a significant decline from 74% in October 2023 and the all-time high of 90% in March 2022.
The deterioration in public sentiment towards Ukrainians in Poland is evident in the survey, with 43% of Poles expressing dislike for Ukrainians, a five-point increase from the previous year. Opposition to Ukraine's EU membership is particularly high among right-wing voters (53%) and the 18-24 age group (58%). The survey also found that 55% of Poles anticipate the war in Ukraine will end with territorial losses for Kyiv, a view that has remained constant since December 2024.
However, pessimism has eased slightly compared to previous surveys, with the percentage expecting Ukraine to lose territory falling by 8 points and the number foreseeing Russia taking control of the entire country decreasing from 8% to 6%.
Written by urgent.news from Notes from Poland's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
