A United Surveys poll for WirtualnaPolska found that 65.5 % of Poles now believe the country’s relations with Kyiv have deteriorated over the past year.
Fewer Optimists in Assessing Relations with Kyiv
According to the latest United Surveys poll, 65.5 % of respondents believe that Poland‑Ukraine relations have worsened in the last year. Within that group, 49.1 % say the ties have “rather worsened,” while 16.4 % claim they have “definitely worsened.”
Only 8.6 % view the situation as improving, with 8.1 % seeing a “rather better” trend and 0.5 % describing a “definite improvement.” Twenty‑one point four percent say there has been no change, and 4.5 % were unable to give a clear answer.
Politics Also Splits Assessment of Ukraine
Among voters of the ruling coalition, 65 % judge the relations as worse than a year ago, while a mere 5 % perceive improvement. Opposition supporters are similarly pessimistic: 44 % say the ties are “rather worsened” and 20 % say they are “definitely worsened,” with only 12 % noting positive change.
Undecided voters and those outside major parties hold the sharpest negative view, with 71 % asserting a deterioration (37 % “rather worsened” and 34 % “definitely worsened”). Only 7 % in this group see improvement.
Comparison with 2024 Shows Declining Trend
The current mood has worsened when compared to 2024: the share of respondents citing negative changes rose from 61.3 % to 65.5 %. The “rather worsened” category grew from 43.6 % to 49.1 %, while uncertainty fell from 8.9 % to 4.5 %. Those indicating improvement increased modestly from 7.9 % to 8.6 %.
Policymakers attribute this shift to heightened political tensions, disputes over economic and social issues, and a cooler tone in intergovernmental relations.
Political Tensions Between Countries
President Karol Nawrocki will not travel to Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to “Gazeta Wyborcza” on Sunday, 26 October, citing Ukrainian Foreign Ministry sources that “despite clear signals from Ukraine, President Nawrocki has no intention of visiting Kyiv.”
Marcin Przydacz, head of the International Policy Office at the Polish Presidential Chancellery, countered: “If President Zelensky wishes to see Nawrocki, nothing prevents him from taking a train to Warsaw for a meeting.”