Polish Opposition to Ukraine's EU Membership Hits Record High

Support for Ukraine joining the 27-nation bloc has slipped to just 50%, a sharp drop from the 90% approval seen shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. The latest figures show opposition rising by 23 percentage points compared to the previous survey conducted in October 2023, marking one of the most significant shifts in Polish public opinion on the issue since the war began.

Enthusiasm Fades Even Among Supporters
Even among those who still back Ukraine's EU ambitions, enthusiasm has cooled considerably. Only 9% said they wanted Kyiv to join "as quickly as possible," the lowest figure ever recorded by the pollster and a full 9 points below the 2023 result. Meanwhile, 41% favored a slower, more cautious path to membership, down 15 percentage points from two years earlier.

The timing of the survey is notable. It comes amid a rocky patch in relations between Warsaw and Kyiv, with a diplomatic dispute that broke out in May over historical disagreements now spilling into wider public tension between the two nations.

Mixed Views on Western Support and Peace Terms
The poll also touched on how Poles view international assistance to Ukraine. Opinions were fairly split: 39% said they felt the current level of military, financial, and humanitarian aid from Western countries was about right. Among the rest, more people thought the support was too generous (27%) than too little (22%).

On the question of how the war might end, more than half of those surveyed, 55%, said they believe Ukraine will eventually need to give up some territory to reach a peace deal. That view has remained the dominant one since December 2024.

The poll surveyed 938 adult Polish citizens and was carried out in July, offering a representative snapshot of national sentiment as the war continues into its fourth year.