Polish president vetoes law on support for Ukrainians

Polish President Karol Nawrocki has refused to sign an amendment to a bill that envisaged additional support for Ukrainian citizens who fled the war.

As reported by Polish news outlet Onet, Nawrocki noted that over the three and a half years of Russia’s full-scale war, Poland’s strategic interests have not changed and Russia remains the biggest security threat. However, he said the financial situation and public sentiment in Poland have changed significantly.

"The law on assistance to Ukrainian citizens that I received does not include amendments that have been publicly debated. I have not changed my opinion and I intend to fulfil my commitments. I believe that the 800+ benefit should only be available to Ukrainians who take up the challenge of working in Poland," Nawrocki said. 

The new version of the law on assistance for Ukrainian citizens that Nawrocki has vetoed would also have extended temporary protection for Ukrainians fleeing the war until 4 March 2026.

"I believe we need to achieve a certain degree of social justice here. Poles in their own country should be on at least an equal footing with our guests from Ukraine. For me, this is a matter of principle, and that is why I did not sign the law on assistance for Ukrainian citizens in its current form," Polish news outlet Interia quoted Nawrocki as saying.

Nawrocki added that he has put forward his own draft law on the issue.

"I urge the government and all parties in parliament to work hard on the form of this law over the next two weeks," he said.

At a press conference on Monday, the head of the Polish president’s chancellery, Zbigniew Bogucki, emphasised that this decision is not directed against Ukrainians residing in Poland.

He stressed that those who work legally, pay taxes or run their own businesses should have nothing to fear from the changes. "However, there was a group that had shown no such interest," he added.

Bogucki noted that the law must be fair to Poles.

"It is the Poles who are the hosts in their own country, and it is the Poles who should enjoy the greatest privileges, not any other nationality," he said.

Earlier, Nawrocki had also called on the Sejm to ban the "Bandera flag" in Poland after incidents during a concert by a Belarusian rapper in Warsaw.