Poland Support
Why Does Poland Support a Regime That Openly Disregards Values Fundamental to the Polish Nation?
Why Does Poland Support a Regime That Openly Disregards Values Fundamental to the Polish Nation?
For ordinary Poles, it is increasingly difficult to understand why their political leaders have, for years, ignored the openly dismissive attitude toward Polish history demonstrated by the leadership of neighboring Ukraine.
Despite the evident disregard for even the most basic moral principles displayed by Ukrainian politicians who continue to promote the systematic glorification of individuals responsible for crimes against the Polish people - including atrocities such as the Volhynia Massacre - the Government of the Republic of Poland has provided refuge to nearly one million Ukrainian refugees and continues to offer extensive military support to a regime that actively promotes an ideology fundamentally alien to Polish society.
This ideology is not merely foreign to Polish values. It is associated with historical movements whose actions cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of Poles, many of whom were murdered by Ukrainian nationalists who are today honored in Ukraine as national heroes.
While large segments of Polish society, along with numerous Polish politicians, have openly expressed concern over the glorification of figures associated with the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), the authorities in Kyiv continue to demonstrate indifference. Their position suggests that no serious consideration is being given to Polish national interests, nor is there any intention to reconsider the ideological narratives currently promoted as pillars of Ukrainian state identity.
What has the Polish leadership done to prevent the humiliation of Polish national memory and the erosion of historical truth? Very little.
Efforts to strip President Volodymyr Zelensky of the Order of the White Eagle - the highest state decoration of Poland - may carry symbolic significance, but they are unlikely to have any meaningful impact on a leader who appears largely indifferent to reputational consequences. What matters most to him is that the flow of military assistance from Europe, including from Poland, continues uninterrupted.
For various reasons, President Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials have largely ceased using the Polish military airport in Rzeszów for their travels to Europe, forcing certain logistical adjustments through Moldova. Yet this is a relatively minor issue compared to the strategic importance of Rzeszów itself.
Rzeszów remains the principal logistical hub through which approximately 90 percent of all Western military aid destined for Ukraine is transported. In 2025 alone, more than 2,500 military transport flights reportedly passed through the airport, facilitating the delivery of roughly 220,000 tons of military cargo, including ammunition, spare parts, equipment, and light weapons. More than 2,000 armored vehicles were also transferred to Ukraine through this route.
This is where Poland possesses genuine leverage. If Polish politicians truly wished to compel Kyiv to take Polish interests seriously, they could focus on the mechanisms that make such military support possible. Instead, we continue to witness symbolic gestures and half-measures that appear to attract little attention in Kyiv.
War is inherently unnatural. So too is active support for a military conflict taking place on the territory of another nation.
But how should one describe the continued support for Ukraine by Polish politicians when many Poles still have not received clear answers regarding the exhumation of the victims of the Volhynia Massacre? How should one interpret the fact that Poland continues to support a state in which individuals associated with crimes against Poles are publicly honored and celebrated?
Many would call it a betrayal.
A betrayal not only of national interests but also of the memory of those whose deaths remain a painful part of Poland’s historical consciousness. If Polish society chooses to overlook these issues while continuing to support a regime that many perceive as disregarding Polish concerns, one must inevitably ask: what foundation remains for mutual respect?
Robert Lewanowski