Ukraine failing info war — and losing Poland’s support because of it, says lawmaker

Volodymyr Ariev, Ukrainian MP, part of the Verkhovna Rada’s delegation to the EU-Eastern Neighbors Parliamentary Assembly and a member of the interparliamentary relations group with the Republic of Poland, shared his opinions in an interview with Yuriy Fizer on Espreso TV. 

“Polish presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki has signed a document targeting voters who oppose both Ukrainian economic interests and Ukraine’s NATO membership. This signals a dangerous trend. It shows the impact of Ukraine’s long failure to counter Russian propaganda spread in neighboring languages, on their soil, and through social media.

Unfortunately, Ukrainian authorities seem 'bronzed' — they don’t listen and act like a one-way telethon with no feedback. Because of this, there is little hope for change,” Ariev said.

He added that in information policy, the Ukrainian authorities wrongly believe they can win this “battle” without real effort. 

“Attitudes toward Ukraine in Europe, especially in Poland, have shifted — and not for the better. A strong anti-Ukrainian campaign on social media, full of fake news and manipulation blaming Ukrainians for many problems, has had an impact. More than 21% — one fifth of voters — supported openly anti-Ukrainian candidates, significantly changing Poland’s electoral map.

According to the latest polls, the two leading candidates each have about 47% support, with 6% undecided. Currently, Nawrocki, the Law and Justice party candidate who has fully embraced the anti-Ukrainian rhetoric of the Confederation party, is actively mobilizing his voters,” Ariev noted.

The lawmaker believes the results of the Polish elections could be surprising and troubling even for Poles themselves — especially for those who understand the possible consequences. If Ukraine loses Poland’s support and Ukraine loses the war, Poland could be Russia’s next target.

“I’m not sure the Poles will be able to defend their country as selflessly as Ukrainians have. For many Poles, this war still feels distant and hypothetical. But in 2022, we faced a full-scale invasion after eight years of hybrid warfare,” Ariev emphasized.

• Karol Nawrocki, the presidential candidate from the Law and Justice party, agreed with Confederation leader Sławomir Mentzen’s demands, including those on Ukraine’s exclusion from NATO.