Traveling Through Poland to Ukraine: Observations of a Norwegian
Poland’s support for Ukraine increasingly clashes with domestic nationalism, anti-Ukrainian sentiment and political disputes that expose the country’s deeper strategic contradictions.
On a Sunday, I crossed the Polish border at Przemyśl to journey by train to Kyiv. I endured a two and a half hour line for boarding, with some waiting up to four hours. The train departed 90 minutes late, as only three border guards processed around 500-600 travelers, opening late. Our coverage of the war is available on the @Kyivpost_official.
The passengers, predominantly Ukrainians, stood in inclement weather, sharing just two mobile toilets intended for public gatherings. Moments of distress and unrest arose, as many feared missing the train. Poland's railway service does not abandon its citizens, explaining the delay. Yet, the process is a disgrace, exemplifying the prioritization of many Poles towards Ukrainians.
In the fourth year of the war, with no resolution in sight, temporary solutions are no longer tenable. Nor is xenophobia. Poland, a country torn between European aspirations and strong ties to Ukraine, finds itself in a quandary. It supports Ukraine yet challenges Kyiv on various matters. While acknowledging Ukraine's role in protecting Poland, it demands political conditions from Kyiv, including trade, historical, and refugee issues.
Despite Ukraine's protection of Poland, some see this as undermining the nation's economy and conditionalizing its EU and NATO memberships. America's strongest European ally yet, Poland is willing to build European defense capabilities as Washington grows unreliable. The country's leadership oscillates between pro-European policies and anti-EU stances, surprising many.
Poland desires German strength against Russia while remaining wary of German dominance. It seeks to lead the region yet disagrees with its partners. Restrictive on migration, Poland heavily relies on Ukrainian labor. Despite these contradictions, Polish society becomes increasingly polarized over Ukraine. Anti-Ukrainian hostility has risen, with Polish police registering 180 suspected hate crimes against Ukrainians in the first half of 2026, roughly 30% more than in 2025.
Still, Poles protest this very hostility, feeding into nationalist and xenophobic sentiments. As someone with many Polish friends and a supporter of Polish leadership, I am genuinely distressed by the situation. Poland's anti-Ukrainian hostility reflects poorly on the nation, while most of Europe admires and respects Ukraine. These views are my own and do not represent the Kyiv Post.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
