Poland Is Gradually Getting Tired Of Ukrainian Problems

 

 Military Cemetery in Olsztyn, Poland

 

SouthFront

With the approaching winter, the gradual depletion of supplies of military equipment and ammunition from Europe to Ukraine, as well as heavy losses of the AFU [Armed Forces Ukraine] in the Donetsk region, dissatisfaction with the Polish government’s actions is growing among Poles.

From the very beginning of the conflict, Poland has taken a position of full-fledged support for Kiev. One of the results of this was the adoption by the Ukrainian parliament in July 2022 of the law on special guarantees for Poles. Many media saw this gesture as preparation for Poland’s gradual takeover of Ukraine’s border regions; however, there was no further development of this process. 

Using extremely aggressive anti-Russian rhetoric, Warsaw sent several thousand Polish military personnel to participate in the combat operations, acting under the guise of volunteers and members of the Ukrainian International Legion. According to Michal Dworczyk, head of the Chancellery of the Polish Prime Minister, Ukraine has received more than $1.5 billion worth of military equipment, and total aid from Poland has exceeded $3.7 billion.

Nevertheless, the so-called refugee fatigue associated with the need to help millions of Ukrainians who have fled their homes is increasingly being discussed in Poland. For example, in Lodz, locals are increasingly paying attention to the rude behavior of Ukrainians, not understanding why they need help in the future. According to the Polish portal Wyborcza.pl, a large number of refugees intend to stay in Poland permanently, preferring cities such as Katowice, Bydgoszcz and Białystok. Poles fear that with the onset of winter more Ukrainians will flood into Poland, fleeing from the shortage of heating and water in their apartments.

At the same time, last month articles about the deaths of Poles who took part in military operations in Ukraine have become more frequent in the Polish media. According to Niezalezny Dziennik Polityczny, the cemetery in the town of Olsztyn already contains over 1,200 new graves, supposedly belonging to volunteers who died fighting the Russian military. It is noteworthy that the 16th Polish mechanized infantry division is based in this city, and the remains of the dead were cremated and buried in American-style standardized tombstones.

Nevertheless, there are regular military drills of NATO countries on the Polish territory, the last of which took place in early November with the participation of more than 2,000 soldiers and 300 pieces of machinery, and the scenario of the exercises was designed for possible confrontation with the Russian army. Currently, the Polish government is making serious efforts to agitate citizens to join the national armed forces. However, this often does not find a response among ordinary Poles, who fear that their lives would be endangered if a full-scale war with Russia breaks out in Europe.