Poll: Fewer Ukrainians consider Poland 'a friendly country' than last year

Dinara Khalilova, The Kyiv Independent news desk
·2 min read
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The share of Ukrainians who perceive Poland as "a friendly country" has decreased from 94% to 79% since June last year, according to a poll by the Sociological Group Rating published on Feb. 21.

The survey was conducted on Feb. 10-11 before the latest escalation at the Polish-Ukrainian border on Feb. 20 when some protesting farmers dumped Ukrainian grain and displayed anti-Ukrainian slogans, sparking an outcry in Ukraine.

The number of Ukrainians who consider Poland to be "unequivocally friendly" as opposed to "rather friendly" dropped from 79% to 33% since the last time such a poll was conducted in June 2023, the group wrote.

The nations most Ukrainians perceive as friendly also include the U.S. and the U.K. (81%), Germany (80%), Lithuania (79%), Canada (78%), France (70%), and Japan (55%), the poll results showed.

The sociologists interviewed 1,000 adults from across Ukraine except for the annexed Crimea and occupied territories in the country's east as well as areas without access to the Ukrainian mobile network.

Poland has been one of Ukraine's staunchest allies since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, but the relations began to sour somewhat last year over agricultural trade disputes.

Both countries are major agricultural producers. When the EU lifted restrictions and tariffs on Ukrainian goods in 2022, farmers in Poland and other neighboring countries complained that cheaper imports from Ukraine presented an unfair advantage.

In protest, Polish carriers and farmers blocked Poland-Ukraine border crossings between November 2023 and January, harming Ukraine's economy and causing delays in humanitarian aid deliveries.

Polish farmers launched a new blockade at the Ukraine border in February, citing what they perceive as inaction and broken promises by Polish authorities.

Polish Agriculture Deputy Minister Michal Kolodziejczak told Polsat News on Feb. 20 that Warsaw may consider additional restrictions on Ukrainian food products in addition to an embargo on Ukrainian grain if a deal with Kyiv cannot be reached.

Read also: Tusk warns economic disputes may spark ‘anti-Ukrainian sentiments’

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