Should Ukraine become a member of the European Union? The latest IBRiS poll shows that most Poles oppose such a move. The survey also reveals a clear divide in opinion depending on respondents’ political sympathies.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki decided to strip the president of Ukraine of Poland’s highest state decoration. The move came in response to Volodymyr Zelensky naming one of Ukraine’s military units after the “Heroes of the UPA.” The Ukrainian side reacted with outrage: Zelensky sent the order back by courier, and he was followed by, among others, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and former Ukrainian presidents, who renounced Polish state decorations.
In explaining his decision, President Nawrocki said, among other things, that “Ukraine’s path toward European structures also requires a willingness to confront the difficult chapters of its own history honestly. A united Europe was built on the rejection of totalitarianism and the cult of violence. These principles must apply to everyone. For those who do not understand this, there can be no place in the European Union, and Poland will certainly not allow it.”
A few days ago, speaking at the AgroLiga 2025 competition gala, President Nawrocki again raised the issue of Ukraine’s place in EU structures, this time in the context of the EU-Mercosur agreement.
“I entered the game too late, although even in this losing scenario, I did everything I could around the world to stop bad solutions for Polish farmers. I also believe that Ukraine’s accession to the European Union poses a threat to Polish agriculture. I am the president of Poland, and while I understand Ukraine’s aspirations, I will always stand guard over the fair treatment of Polish farmers and Polish agricultural produce, also in the context of the Green Deal and EU solutions,”
the president explained.
Ukraine in the EU? Poles firmly say no
The president’s view is shared by Poles, as shown by the results of the latest IBRiS survey conducted for Radio ZET. Respondents were asked whether, in their opinion, Ukraine should join the European Union.
In total, 35.3 percent of those surveyed supported such a move. In this group, 8.4 percent answered “definitely yes,” while 26.9 percent chose “rather yes.”
Opponents of Ukraine’s accession, however, are in the majority. In total, 59.7 percent of respondents do not support Ukraine joining the European Union, with 32.3 percent strongly opposed and 27.4 percent rather opposed. Five percent of respondents had no opinion on the matter.
Political views matter
The survey also shows a clear difference between voters of the governing camp and the opposition.
Among supporters of Civic Coalition, The Left, the Polish People’s Party, and Poland 2050, nearly two-thirds (64 percent) support Ukraine’s membership in the European Union. Thirty-two percent of respondents in this group are opposed.
The responses look the opposite among voters of opposition groups such as Law and Justice, Confederation, Confederation of the Polish Crown, and the Together Party. In this group, as many as 73 percent of respondents oppose Ukraine joining the EU, while 24 percent support such a move.
The poll was conducted by IBRiS for Radio ZET on June 12–13, 2026. The survey was carried out using the CATI method, meaning computer-assisted telephone interviews, on a representative nationwide sample of 1,068 adults.