Poland, a Benign but Not a Naïve Power in Its Response to Russia's War in Ukraine (2022-Present)

Abstract

The chapter investigates an interesting twist in the bilateral relations between Ukraine and Poland under the Morawiecki Government. It discusses the main reasons that led Morawiecki to drastically change from a very generous response to Russia's invasion to an openly hostile stance after Zelensky's UN Speech. The chapter explores the rationale that led Morawiecki to impose an embargo on Ukrainian grain and other agricultural commodities during the summer of 2023. It deliberates on the post-2023 improvement of these relations after the formation of the Tusk government. It exemplifies that even if certain disagreements over the scale of the offered assistance arise in the countries that eagerly helped Ukraine since February 2022, those disagreements can be appropriately dealt with. The ferocity of Putin's war against Ukraine failed to discourage Ukraine's most loyal friends from stepping up their support. Paradoxically for Putin, despite all his efforts to turn such a scenario into an undesirable one, Ukraine today is much closer to becoming a full EU and NATO member than ever.