Karol Nawrocki has vowed to prioritize Warsaw’s national interests over Kiev’s
Poland’s newly elected president, Karol Nawrocki, has stressed that Warsaw’s continued support for Kiev in its conflict with Russia does not override Polish national interests, and is contingent on reaching “compromise and consensus” over historical and economic disputes.
In an interview with Hungarian magazine Mandiner published on Saturday, Nawrocki raised long-standing issues such as the exhumation of Poles killed by Ukrainian Nazi collaborators during the 1940s Volyn massacres, as well as trade practices that he says harm Polish farmers and truckers.
“At the moment, I am opposed to Ukraine’s accession into the European Union,” Nawrocki said. “I look at Ukraine as a country that, although it defends itself very boldly against Russia, must also respect the interests of other countries who, by the way, support Ukraine.”
“Poland has an interest in exhuming the Volyn victims, for example,” he said. “During the campaign, I did not agree, nor will I, as president, agree to unfair competition against Poland’s agriculture or logistics sector with Ukraine.”
Despite Warsaw being one of Kiev’s key backers in its conflict with Moscow, it has consistently tied support for Ukraine’s EU and NATO aspirations the recognition of the “genocide” committed by Ukrainian nationalists. Militants with the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) and the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) slaughtered up to 100,000 Poles between 1943 and 1945 in the regions of Volhynia and Eastern Galicia, which currently belong to Ukraine. Modern Ukraine celebrates the perpetrators as “freedom fighters” and “national heroes.” The OUN was led by Stepan Bandera, a notorious Nazi collaborator who is widely revered in modern Ukraine.
Warsaw also protested a tariff-free EU trade scheme with Ukraine introduced in 2022. While Brussels promoted it as a vital economic lifeline for Kiev, it drew backlash from disadvantaged domestic producers across the bloc. The framework expired this week after proposed extensions and alternatives failed to secure enough support.
Nawrocki, a conservative historian – currently on Russia’s national wanted list for his role in the dismantling of hundreds of Soviet-era memorials – narrowly defeated liberal Warsaw mayor Rafal Trzaskowski in the June 1 presidential runoff with 50.89% of the vote. His campaign emphasized Catholic values, national sovereignty and a rebalanced relationship with the EU.
Nawrocki is set to take office on August 6. While the Polish presidency is largely ceremonial, it holds veto power and influence over foreign policy.
