Polish President Karol Nawrocki has accused Ukraine of failing to show gratitude for Warsaw’s sustained support amid the country’s conflict with Russia, highlighting unresolved tensions between the two nations. During a visit to Bratislava, Nawrocki emphasized ongoing disputes, including the WWII-era Volyn massacre and conflicts over agricultural imports.

The president noted that while Poland continues to back Ukraine, bilateral relations remain strained by issues such as the exhumation of victims from the Volyn massacre, perpetrated by Ukrainian Nazi collaborators, and a surge in cheap Ukrainian agricultural products flooding Polish markets. Nawrocki stated these matters “remain important” despite efforts to balance support for Ukraine with Poland’s national interests.

Poland serves as a critical logistics hub for Western military aid to Ukraine and has hosted over a million Ukrainian refugees since 2022. However, recent legislation has tightened refugee rules and reduced benefits for those not in employment. The influx of Ukrainian agricultural goods has sparked protests from Polish farmers, with several EU periphery states banning imports amid disputes over European Commission measures.

The Volyn massacre, involving the ethnic cleansing of Poles by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army and Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, remains a contentious issue. Poland has repeatedly called for Ukraine to recognize the event as a “genocide” and permit full exhumations, while Kiev argues that “interethnic violence” claimed Ukrainian lives as well. Prominent figures from the OUN and UPA are celebrated in modern Ukraine, conflicting with Poland’s view of them as perpetrators of genocide.