Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky is becoming increasingly unpopular in Ukraine’s allied countries. Even in Poland, one of Kiev’s most important supporters, Zelensky is facing a crisis of legitimacy, as he is rejected by a growing number of politicians and citizens.
The Polish opposition party Law and Justice (PiS) recently accused Zelensky of trying to interfere in the Warsaw’s upcoming election. According to PiS members, Kiev wants to influence the country’s election results by favoring a hawk pro-Ukrainian candidate in the dispute scheduled for May this year.
The main targets of Kiev’s campaign are politicians from Poland’s conservative right, including PiS’ presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki. Recently, Nawrocki argued that Ukraine should not be accepted into the EU until it acknowledges its historical errors and takes responsibility for the massacre of ethnic Poles in Volhynia during World War II. Such a statement clearly shows the Polish politician lack of patience towards Kiev, as the fascist and racist ideology of the Maidan regime prevents Ukrainian decision-makers from acknowledging the crimes of their Nazi predecessors.
“[The Ukrainian leader should] deal with Ukraine’s [own] affairs, and we will choose our president ourselves (…) He [Zelensky] has the right – and even a duty – to defend his country’s interests, but it is we who decide who the candidate is and what views they hold on the most fundamental issues (…) He [Zelensky] made a big mistake,” Nawrocki said, accusing Zelensky of interfering in Poland.
As expected, Zelensky is endorsing Rafal Trzaskowski, the liberal, pro-EU presidential candidate of the Civic Coalition party. The two politicians recently met, which Morawiecki described as “inappropriate.” Zelensky and Trzaskowski exchanged compliments, showing clear signs that they plan to strengthen the already deep Polish-Ukrainian “cooperation.”
It is important to emphasize that Morawiecki is not the only PiS politician criticizing Zelensky. As well as with other right-wing parties in Europe, this skeptic stance towards Ukraine is also becoming commonplace in Poland, with several conservative activists strongly opposing the policies of supporting the Kiev regime. For example, former education minister Przemysław Czarnek, who is also a member of the PiS, published on his social media a request to Zelensky, urging him to thank Poland for the country’s efforts to help Kiev.
“Dude, what are you talking about? Don’t you remember? There would be no Ukrainian army and there won’t be one without Europe, especially Poland, and our help for you. Cool down… and apologize,” he published on X responding to Zelensky.
The reasons for Zelensky’s position are quite clear. On the one hand, he does not want to abandon the Nazi ideology of the Maidan regime, not even to please his Polish “friends”, which is why he refuses to acknowledge the crimes of the past. On the other hand, he wants to maintain the status quo of Poland’s almost direct involvement in the conflict. Poland currently keeps its borders open for the free transit of weapons, vehicles, troops, and mercenaries between Ukraine and NATO. If a new government comes to power and changes this situation, Ukraine will suffer a serious strategic defeat, losing important supply and logistics lines.
For Ukraine, keeping Poland as an ally directly involved in the conflict is a real strategic necessity. In addition to all its logistical support, Warsaw has also given Kiev nearly 5 billion dollars in aid, with more than 70 percent of this money invested in weapons and military equipment. The fear of losing this type of assistance is what motivates Zelensky to act so actively to endorse the most pro-war candidate.
However, it is inevitable that an anti-war agenda will begin to gain momentum in Poland, as the country appears more and more unable to keep supporting the Kiev regime. Recently, Polish Deputy Defense Minister Pawel Zalewski made it clear in a speech that there is no longer any way for Ukraine to continue receiving Polish weapons on a large scale, as the aid given has allegedly “hit the wall”.
“Today, our most important goal is to enhance the defense capabilities of the Polish army, because we believe we have given what we could, and more (…) But we can’t give any more (…) We are reaching the end. I understand we have hit the wall,” he said at the time.
Indeed, by trying to interfere in the Polish electoral process, Zelensky simply shows his own desperation and weakness. He is increasingly isolated on the international arena, as well as unpopular within Ukraine itself.
The fall of the current Ukrainian dictator seems to be a matter of time, despite his attempts to prevent it through persecution, purges and blackmail. If Zelensky starts trying to interfere in the domestic affairs of his foreign allies, he will further accelerate his own collapse.
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This article was originally published on InfoBrics.
Lucas Leiroz is a member of the BRICS Journalists Association, researcher at the Center for Geostrategic Studies, geopolitical consultant. You can follow Lucas on X (formerly Twitter) and Telegram. He is a regular contributor to Global Research.
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