The newly elected president of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, currently opposes Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, but recognizes the strategic importance of supporting our country in its fight against Russian aggression.
He said this in an interview with the Hungarian publication Mandiner, Ukrinform reports with reference to The European Conservative.
“I oppose Ukraine’s accession to the EU at this moment. However, I recognize that we need to support Ukraine from a strategic and geopolitical point of view,” Nawrocki said.
The newly elected president of Poland called Russia “a post-imperial, neo-communist state led by war criminal Vladimir Putin.” He added that he had personally received threats from Russia because of his work as head of the Institute of National Remembrance of the Republic of Poland since 2021.
At the same time, the politician pointed out that Kyiv should take into account the national interests of EU members, in particular Poland and Hungary. In this context, he mentioned the “unfair” agricultural advantages for Ukraine within European policy, as well as the issue of exhuming the victims of the Volhynia tragedy.
“We need to find compromises on these issues,” Nawrocki emphasized.
Despite everything, he highly praised the heroism of Ukrainians: “I believe Ukraine is defending itself very bravely, but it also needs to respect other countries’ interests, especially since they supported it from the very beginning. And Poland has been a leader in this regard, thanks to the commitment of [outgoing] President Duda and the hospitality of the Polish people.”
The newly elected president also stated that his priority would be to restore cooperation between the Visegrad Group countries (Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary), which, according to him, “effectively disappeared after Donald Tusk [Prime Minister] came to power.”
Nawrocki criticized the current Polish government, accusing it of undermining the rule of law and being overly accommodating to the European Union. “I believe in the EU, but not as a quasi-state, but as a community of independent countries that can freely use the opportunities it provides,” he explained. “We are very attached to our identity, so in Poland, the Poles will decide what road we take.”
As reported by Ukrinform, Nawrocki stated that Poland is Ukraine’s most determined supporter in the fight against Russian aggression, and no other country understands this threat better than Poland.
Photo: PAP/Darek Delmanowicz
Source: Nawrocki supports Ukraine but opposes EU entry for now
