UPD: the word “constructive” was changed to “non-confrontational” in the headline and lead for clarification

UKRAINE, Jun. 24 — 90% of Ukrainians support a non-confrontational approach to resolving historical disputes with Poland, according to a survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS).

The poll comes amid renewed tensions between Kyiv and Warsaw. On Jun. 19, Karol Nawrocki, the President of Poland, said he would strip Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Order of the White Eagle, Poland’s highest state honor, after Zelenskyy approved naming a Ukrainian military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, also known as UPA. Some Ukrainians honor the UPA as an anti-Soviet resistance movement, while Poland condemns it for its role in the mass killings of Poles in the Volhyn region and Eastern Galicia, located in the West of Ukraine, during World War II.

On Jun. 20, Zelenskyy returned the Order of the White Eagle to Poland. In an interview with Ukrainian TV channel TSN, he said Ukraine and Poland “cannot be enemies” and “cannot fail to be partners,” while accusing Nawrocki of using the issue for political gain.

Between Jun. 17 and 23, KIIS surveyed 1,005 respondents, asking them, “Poland and Ukraine have disputes over historical issues. Which approach do you support the most?”

The results show that 57% of Ukrainians believe that each nation may have its own heroes and that other nations should not interfere. Another 33% said a common view of shared history could be reached through joint commissions of historians rather than politicians.

Only 5% supported more confrontational approaches: 1% said Ukraine should accept all of Poland’s demands and adopt Poland’s view of shared history, while 4% said Poland should change its position and accept Ukraine’s view.

At the same time, negative attitudes toward Ukrainians among Poles have risen to 43%, while Ukrainians show the opposite trend, generally maintaining a positive view of their neighbors, according to a study by the Juliusz Mieroszewski Center for Dialogue.

Researchers noted that relations between Ukrainians and Poles have shifted in recent years. After a period of broad support at the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, sympathy has gradually declined.

In 2023, 17% of Polish respondents reported a negative attitude toward Ukrainians. According to the latest data, that figure has increased almost 2.5 times, reaching 43%.

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