Poland sets political conditions for Ukraine’s EU accession

Poland should not approve Ukraine’s accession to the European Union until Kyiv meets a set of political and social conditions, Krzysztof Bosak, Deputy Speaker of the Polish Sejm, said in a post on the social media platform X.

Bosak stated that Ukraine must renounce what he described as “Bandera ideology” and ensure respectful treatment of the Polish minority living in Ukraine before Warsaw can even begin considering its EU membership bid.

“These should not even be conditions for our consent to Ukraine’s accession to the EU, but rather prerequisites for Poland to even begin considering this issue. Now is the time for Poland to clearly articulate its interests and expectations regarding Ukraine,” he wrote.

His remarks come amid a broader dispute within the European Union over financial support mechanisms linked to Ukraine. On June 11, it was reported that Poland is demanding full reimbursement for weapons it has supplied to Ukraine, setting up a disagreement with other EU member states over the allocation of funds from the European Peace Facility (EPF).

Germany has argued that €6.6 billion recently unblocked by Hungary from the EPF should be transferred in full to Ukraine. Poland, however, maintains that it is entitled to recover all funds spent on military assistance.

Warsaw is seeking approximately €450 million in reimbursement for arms deliveries, a position outlined by Deputy Defence Minister Cezary Tomczyk.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has proposed a compromise plan that would divide the funds between partial, proportional compensation for member states—estimated at around 10%—support for a training mission for Ukrainian forces, and joint procurement of weapons for Ukraine.

Poland has rejected the proposal. “These funds are our funds,” Tomczyk said, pledging to fight for full reimbursement. “In practice, reducing these funds means less money for the army,” he added. Warsaw has also accused Brussels of “trying to change the rules during the game.”

Germany, the largest contributor to the EPF in proportional terms, continues to support directing the unblocked funds primarily to Ukraine rather than returning them to national budgets.

Poland’s position has received backing from Slovakia, which was the first EU member state to declare that it would seek full reimbursement for weapons supplied to Ukraine.

By Tamilla Hasanova