German Daily Reports Rising Attacks on Ukrainians and Shifting Public Sentiment in Poland

The German daily “Süddeutsche Zeitung” reports on recurring brutal attacks against Ukrainians in Poland, highlighting a 30 percent increase in nationality-based assaults during the first half of the year.

Attacks on Ukrainians Rise

The German daily “Süddeutsche Zeitung” (“SZ”) writes on Wednesday (05.08.2026) about recurring brutal attacks on Ukrainians in Poland. Last week, Prime Minister Donald Tusk explicitly blamed the opposition for the acts of violence against Ukrainians living in Poland, reports the newspaper’s Warsaw correspondent Viktoria Grossmann.

Grossmann describes a brutal attack by three Poles on a Ukrainian couple in Wrocław. “Almost every week there is information about new attacks” – in Bielsko-Biała, Gdynia, Wrocław, and other cities. “Police statistics indicate that in the first half of the year, the number of attacks on Ukrainians related to their nationality increased by 30 percent compared to the same period of the previous year,” writes “SZ”.

Opposition Opposed to Aid for Ukraine

The newspaper recalls that about 1.7 million Ukrainians live in Poland, accounting for over 70 percent of all foreigners staying in the country. “Statistics have long shown that Ukrainian citizens (…) contribute more funds to the state budget and social security system than they cost the state in social benefits,” it reads.

Despite this, Donald Tusk’s government has restricted part of social assistance, “apparently feeling pressure from the right-wing opposition.” All opposition groupings are against further aid for Ukraine. Grossmann cites statements by PiS politicians — Przemysław Czarnek and Jarosław Kaczyński — about halting financial aid to Ukraine and Ukraine’s cultivation of Bandera’s genocidal ideology.

Echoes of Russian Propaganda

A few years ago, similar views were voiced mainly by far-right figures such as MEP Grzegorz Braun, notes the “SZ” journalist. His party — the Confederation of the Polish Crown — is perceived in Poland as a pro-Russian grouping, but the narrative regarding Ukraine has been adopted by a significant part of the right wing, including PiS.

“Above all, the one-sided assessment of Polish-Ukrainian history from the Second World War period corresponds to the message of Russian propaganda. Increasingly, Polish politicians also openly warn against alleged fascists in Ukraine, including President Karol Nawrocki, a historian with a doctorate,” we read.

The author explains that the Polish-Ukrainian dispute repeatedly concerns the Volhynian slaughter, when members of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) murdered tens of thousands of Polish civilians. The UPA cooperated with the Wehrmacht for some time before becoming its victim itself. In Ukraine, this formation is often celebrated for fighting against the Soviet Union.

A Shift in Attitude

After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Poland reacted very quickly. PiS was in power at the time. “Poland transferred significant amounts of armaments to Ukraine, including tanks and a large part of its own military reserves. In an atmosphere of solidarity and sympathy, cities and residents organized temporary aid for up to 10 million war refugees.”

Now polls show that Poles’ attitude towards Ukraine has changed significantly. Support for Ukraine’s EU membership is at its lowest level in years. Further military support is supported by only slightly more than half of respondents, compared to 2023 when this figure reached up to 80 percent, writes “SZ”.