Polish survey reveals generational divide on international alliances, with young Poles showing skepticism toward Western partners while older citizens maintain stronger faith in US security guarantees.
Divided Views on Ukraine
Polish public opinion regarding Ukraine has become strongly polarized in recent years. While 35.9% of citizens still view Ukraine as a friend, nearly an identical group—31.27% of respondents—now sees it as an enemy.
Notably, the youngest generation surveyed (ages 18-29) shows the greatest distance and reluctance. This suggests that the emotional surge of assistance at the beginning of the conflict is giving way to cool and often critical analysis of mutual relations, while attitudes toward Russia (89.13% consider it an enemy) and Belarus (82.66%) remain consistently negative.
US Power as Sole Security Guarantee
In the face of potential military threats, Poles look primarily to Washington with hope. As many as 43.31% of respondents believe that the United States would actually come to Poland’s aid, surpassing European powers: Great Britain (36.95%), Germany (30.41%), and France (27.95%).
As commented by Piotr Nowocień, president of the National Polish American Foundation: “In uncertain times, a true friend is the one who comes to help in case of threat, not the one who speaks beautifully about values. The US is recognized as a much more reliable ally than large European states—it’s a global military power ready to act anywhere in the world.”
Generational Gap in Alliance Trust
A survey conducted by the All-Poll Research Group (OGB) revealed a fascinating difference of opinion between generations. Seniors (60+) are the biggest optimists regarding the durability of defense pacts, which experts attribute to their historical experiences.
President Nowocień notes: “It’s no coincidence that the most trust in our alliances is shown by people aged 60+ – they well remember the strength of the US under Ronald Reagan, whose uncompromising policy led to the fall of the USSR and Poland’s regaining of freedom. Younger people rather remember the crisis of the Western world – hence less faith in our alliances.” This generational gap may define a new direction for Polish foreign policy in the future.
Israel Under Scrutiny and New Diplomatic Role
Poles evaluated Israel extremely harshly—50.85% of respondents consider this state hostile, and 75% of respondents declare distrust of Prime Minister Netanyahu. A new line of American diplomacy in Poland offers hope for improving these relations.
Piotr Nowocień emphasizes: “Such a negative result for Israel is an alarm signal. One of the reasons for this situation is inciting dislike for this state by politicians seeking approval. A ray of hope is the stance of the new US ambassador to Poland, Tom Rose, who decisively stands with Poland in disputes over historical memory. He clearly states that Poles and Jews were victims of Nazi German crimes, which cuts off all attempts to blame Poles for the Holocaust.”
Survey Findings on International Partners
The analysis was based on a survey conducted by the All-Poll Research Group for the National Polish American Foundation. The study was conducted using the CATI method on a representative sample of 1,000 adult residents of Poland. The results shed new light on the social foundations of Poland’s security strategy and show that more than half of us (51.31%) still believe that our country has strong and reliable international partners on whom one can rely in the hour of need.
