More Poles against Ukraine joining the EU and NATO: survey results
New data from a sociological study conducted by IBRiS on behalf of the Defence24 portal and the Stand With Ukraine initiative indicate a significant increase in the number of Poles who oppose Ukraine joining the European Union and the Alliance. Compared to previous years, the level of support has decreased, while the number of those expressing the opposite position, on the contrary, has increased. According to the survey, only 35% of respondents in Poland support the idea of Ukraine joining the European Union, while even fewer — 37% — are in favor of NATO membership. This is significantly less than those who are against — 42% and forty-two percent, respectively. Such statistics reflect the growing tension in society and the flow of votes to the opposite side in the context of geopolitical prospects for Kyiv. The justification for the antipathy of the Polish part of the population is quite diverse. They express concerns about economic competition that may arise from cooperation with Ukraine, as well as concerns about the corruption situation in Ukrainian society and the potential complication of the security situation on NATO’s western borders. According to the respondents, Ukrainian membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization will significantly deepen the conflict and exacerbate the military situation. It is important to note that the survey also revealed a worrying trend - 46% of Poles are in favor of reducing or completely canceling military and financial assistance to Ukraine in the fight against Russian aggression. This calls into question the level of political support for active assistance to Kyiv among the public, which may affect the government’s future policy. Thus, the results of the study highlight the growing crisis of confidence and changing sentiment in Polish society regarding Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration. While support may have prevailed in the past, there is now a clear trend towards increasing anti-war and anti-Euro-Atlantic sentiment, which calls into question the prospects for Ukraine’s rapid and unconditional accession to these structures. This, in turn, may adversely affect the political decisions of member-state governments regarding future steps in this area and the prospects for Kyiv’s direct integration into European and security integration formats.