In a recent poll conducted by SW Research for rp.pl, Polish citizens were asked whether they believe Western countries, including NATO members, should deploy soldiers to Ukraine. This inquiry comes amidst discussions within NATO and the European Union, spurred by French President Emmanuel Macron’s statement that the option of sending Western troops to Ukraine cannot be dismissed. However, the majority of NATO and EU countries have ruled out such a possibility, aligning with Russia’s ongoing narrative that it is combating NATO, despite Ukraine not being a member of the Alliance.
The poll reveals a significant divide in public opinion: only 19.1% of respondents support the idea of sending Western soldiers to Ukraine, whereas 55.6% oppose it. A substantial 25.3% remain undecided. The opposition is notably higher among women and men, with every second woman and three out of five men against the deployment. Younger participants, particularly those under 24, are more likely to oppose the idea, as are individuals with basic vocational education (68%) and those earning over 7,000 PLN net (63%). Opposition also varies by city size, with the highest disapproval (64%) in cities with 100,000 to 199,999 inhabitants.
Poland’s Minister of National Defense, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, has firmly stated that there are no plans or intentions to send Polish soldiers to the Ukrainian front, echoing NATO’s stance. He emphasized that supporting Ukraine through military equipment and training is more appropriate. Kosiniak-Kamysz highlighted the establishment of the Ukraine-NATO center in Bydgoszcz, focusing on training and analysis, as a prime example of this support strategy.