Poland unlikely to join Hungary and Slovakia’s anti-Ukraine stance — policy expert

 Stanislav Zhelikhovskyi, political scientist and international affairs expert, said this on Espreso TV.

"We need to understand that the situation in Poland is different from what we see in Hungary and Slovakia. Karol Nawrocki won’t be the prime minister, and in Poland, that’s the position with the most influence. So, he’ll have to take into account the political landscape in the country. Of course, this could change if early parliamentary elections are held and the PiS party makes a comeback — especially if parties like Confederation join them. In that case, Poland might start following Hungary’s path," Zhelikhovskyi explained.

The expert also noted that newly elected Polish President Karol Nawrocki has repeatedly shown support for Ukraine and clearly understands the threat posed by Russia.

"Right now, Viktor Orban shouldn't count on a shift in Poland’s political direction. He’d obviously like to return to the days when PiS was at the height of its power. Back then, before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, there was a serious push to build a united front in the European Parliament. It’s important to note that Karol Nawrocki supports Ukraine in its fight against Russia — something we don’t see from Orban or Fico," he added.

• On Sunday, June 1, Poland held the second round of its presidential election. The winner was Law and Justice (PiS) candidate Karol Nawrocki. The margin between him and his opponent, Civic Platform’s Rafał Trzaskowski, was less than 2%. Outgoing president Andrzej Duda congratulated his successor.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also congratulated Karol Nawrocki on his victory.
• On June 3, President-elect Karol Nawrocki thanked President Zelenskyy in a post on X, expressing hope for continued cooperation between the two countries.