Poland’s incoming president, Karol Nawrocki, has firmly aligned with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in opposing Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, signaling a deepening rift within the bloc over the future of its eastern expansion. In his first international interview since his election, Nawrocki made clear that Ukraine’s entry into the EU would harm Polish national interests.
Speaking to Hungary’s Mandiner outlet, Nawrocki acknowledged the need to support Ukraine against Russian aggression but warned that such support must not override Poland’s economic and strategic priorities. “At the moment, I am against Ukraine’s entry into the European Union,” he said, citing both corruption concerns and the threat to Polish farmers from cheap Ukrainian labor and state-subsidized agriculture.
Nawrocki, a staunch anti-communist, labeled Russia as the primary geopolitical threat but stressed that Ukraine must respect the interests of its supporters. His stance sets up a direct policy clash with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a pro-EU figure who has championed Ukraine’s bid for membership.
Nawrocki’s remarks echo Orbán’s warnings that EU membership for Ukraine would siphon resources away from Central Europe. Orbán argued this week that admitting Ukraine would “suck up” EU funds and erode economic stability in countries like Hungary and Poland.
The Hungarian leader has also framed Ukraine’s potential accession as a danger to European peace, warning at the CPAC conference in Budapest that it could provoke further conflict and serve as a pretext for transforming Europe’s political structure under wartime conditions.
The unified opposition from Warsaw and Budapest—two key players in the Visegrad Group—poses a significant obstacle for Kyiv’s EU ambitions. Both leaders assert that their nations’ working-class citizens and rural economies would bear the brunt of the costs.
As the EU continues to push for closer ties with Ukraine, growing resistance from conservative governments in Central Europe may reshape the trajectory of future enlargement talks.
