Polish premier acknowledges tensions over Ukrainian refugees

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Tuesday acknowledged growing tensions linked to the presence of more than one million Ukrainian refugees in Poland, saying his government is working to prevent strains in public sentiment from harming relations with Kyiv.

Speaking before a cabinet meeting in Warsaw, Tusk said the government had anticipated social tensions arising from the unprecedented influx of Ukrainians after the war broke out in 2022.

"Polish-Ukrainian relations are something we are working on," Tusk said. "I am aware of the public mood. We knew from the very beginning that accepting well over one million refugees from Ukraine would create tensions."

His comments come at a sensitive moment in relations between Warsaw and Kyiv.

The latest controversy erupted after President Karol Nawrocki revoked the Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest state honor, that had been awarded to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Nawrocki said the decision was prompted by Ukraine's move to name a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, whose members were responsible for the wartime massacres of tens of thousands of Poles in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia.

Tusk criticized the move, warning that escalating disputes between Poland and Ukraine could ultimately benefit Russia.

Poland has been one of Ukraine's strongest supporters in recent years. The country has served as a key logistics hub for Western military aid and has hosted one of Europe's largest refugee populations.

According to government estimates, more than one million Ukrainians remain in Poland, although numbers fluctuate as refugees move between Poland, Ukraine and other European countries.

Opinion polls continue to show broad support for Ukraine's defense against Russia, but surveys have also recorded growing concerns about welfare benefits, access to public services and competition in the labor market.