Is Ukraine Now Poland’s Biggest Threat?
Historian Dr Mike Krupa on Russia, Sovereignty & the EU
/ 2026 / … #Poland#Ukraine#Russia
Since the downfall of the Soviet Union, Polish people have been told that Russia is their historic and eternal enemy — and that the war in Ukraine is the essential fight to finally defeat it.Yet after major diplomatic clashes between Warsaw and Kyiv over Zelensky’s glorification of World War II figures tied to the Volhynia massacres, many Poles are now asking a very different question: Is Ukraine becoming Poland’s bigger and more immediate problem? In this episode I sit down with Mike Krupa, Polish historian, political commentator and columnist for the conservative weekly Do Rzeczy. We discuss:
- Why Polish attitudes towards Ukraine have shifted so dramatically since 2022
- The glorification of Bandera, Melnyk and UPA units — and what it means for Polish historical memory
- Concerns that a post-war Ukraine could become a security threat to Poland (weapons, crime, possible territorial claims)
- Poland’s lack of sovereign strategy and its deference to Brussels, Berlin and Washington
- The real threat to Polish sovereignty: not just Russia, but the direction of the European Union itself
- Prospects for pragmatic relations with Russia and the idea of a “common European home”
Mike gives a candid, inside-Poland perspective on public opinion, recent polls, statements from former intelligence officials, the farmers’ protests, and the political dynamics between President Karol Nawrocki and the Tusk government. If you’re interested in realist takes on European geopolitics, Polish politics, and what a more sovereign Europe might look like, this conversation is for you. Wherever you are in the world, whatever your nationality or beliefs — I wish you peace. Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction: Is Ukraine now Poland’s biggest threat? 03:30 – Why Polish attitudes toward Ukraine shifted dramatically since 2022 08:00 – Historical grievances: Volhynia massacres and glorification of Bandera, Melnyk & UPA 14:00 – Security threats from a post-war Ukraine (weapons, crime, returning fighters, drones) 20:00 – Poland’s lack of sovereign foreign policy strategy 25:00 – Deference to Brussels, Berlin, and Washington 30:00 – The European Union as the bigger threat to Polish sovereignty 36:00 – Public opinion, polls, and farmers’ protests 41:00 – Political dynamics between President Nawrocki and the Tusk government 46:00 – Prospects for pragmatic relations with Russia 50:00 – The idea of a “common European home” and final thoughts #Poland#Ukraine#Russia#EuropeanUnion#Geopolitics#PolishPolitics#Sovereignty#Nawrocki#Volhynia
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