Polish presidential candidates differ in their views on Ukraine

Photo: NurPhoto via Getty Images

On Friday evening, Poland held a key televised debate between presidential candidates before the second round of elections. The position on Ukraine was one of the main topics of the debate between the conservative candidate Karol Nawrocki (Law and Justice) and the liberal candidate Rafał Trzaskowski (Civic Coalition).

Nawrocki stressed that Poland has the right to speak openly about its national interests, including the negative attitude of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He also spoke out against Ukraine’s membership in NATO, which provoked a sharp reaction from Trzaskowski. Navrotsky responded that he was speaking “the language of the Poles”, who are concerned about the influx of Ukrainian grain to the Polish market.

“This is not Putin’s propaganda. This is the defence of Poland’s interests,” Navrotsky stressed, noting that he himself is on the Russian blacklist.

In response, Trzaskowski said that Ukraine needs firm but constructive support, as its victory is a matter of European security. At the same time, he acknowledged that Poland should act decisively on trade issues.

Thus, Ukraine has become one of the central topics of the campaign in Poland, which indicates a high level of public interest in relations between Kyiv and Warsaw on the eve of the elections.

NEWS