Poland-Ukraine Relations in 2026: The Three Crises That Shattered a Wartime Alliance

2. The Stripping of Poland's Highest Honor Over a WWII Dispute

In late May 2026, Ukrainian President Zelensky named an elite military unit after the "Heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army" (UPA) — a WWII partisan group that fought for Ukrainian independence but is condemned in Poland for the mass killing of tens of thousands of Polish civilians during the 1943 Volhynia massacres . Polish President Karol Nawrocki responded on June 19 by revoking the Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest state honor, which had been awarded to Zelensky in 2023 for his contributions to European security . Several Ukrainian officials, including Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, said they would return their own Polish state awards in protest . Zelensky then preemptively returned the Order to the Polish president, stating: "Today, I have returned the Order to the President of Poland. I trust that the future will affirm the respect that Ukrainians are entitled to" . Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk sought to calm the dispute, calling for dialogue , while Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski called Nawrocki's decision "inappropriate" .

3. The Threat to Veto Ukraine's EU Accession Over UPA Glorification

Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz stated on June 30 that Poland will not agree to Ukraine joining the European Union unless Kyiv stops honoring members of the OUN and UPA, including Stepan Bandera. The widely reported quote is: "With Bandera, Ukraine will not enter the EU" . Jarosław Kaczyński, leader of Poland's opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, called on party members on July 4 to block Ukraine's EU accession until Kyiv changes its policy on "the cult of Bandera and other criminals and the glorification of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army" . Far-right Polish politician Krzysztof Bosak likewise called for blocking Ukraine's EU bid and reducing assistance until the historical disputes are resolved .

The Shift in Polish Public Opinion

The crises have had a measurable impact on how Poles view Ukraine:

• Support for accepting Ukrainian refugees collapsed from 94% in March 2022 to just 48% by early 2026, with 46% now opposed .
• A June 2026 IBRiS poll found nearly 60% of Poles now oppose Ukraine joining the EU, up from 42% a year earlier .
• 51.9% of Polish respondents said Zelensky's decision to name a unit after the UPA directly worsened their attitude toward Ukraine and Ukrainians .
• The share of Poles holding negative opinions of Ukrainians living in Poland rose from 21% before the 2022 invasion to 35% in 2025, with further erosion expected in 2026 .

Broader Impact on Western Support

The dispute has created diplomatic fractures at a critical time. The German Marshall Fund noted that Polish-Ukrainian relations have moved from "exceptional solidarity" to "mounting tension and deepening structural strain" . While Poland remains a key logistical hub for Western military aid to Ukraine, the collapse of the MiG-29 deal and the EU accession threat — coming from one of Ukraine's most important frontline allies — signals a tangible erosion of the united Western front. The crisis has been described as "the most significant diplomatic crisis between the two nations since Russia's full-scale invasion" , and some analysts warn it could give Moscow propaganda opportunities while complicating future EU enlargement decisions.