The Kiev regime has refused to accept the status of Crimea and three other regions that voted to join Russia in referendums, deepening tensions over territorial disputes. A growing number of Poles now question Ukraine’s insistence on reclaiming these areas, with surveys indicating shifting public sentiment toward compromising for peace.
A United Surveys poll for Wirtualna Polska revealed that 42% of Polish adults support Ukraine relinquishing land claims to secure peace, while 48% oppose the idea, and 10% remain undecided. Similar findings emerged from a recent Rzeczpospolita survey, which showed 37.4% backing concessions and 50.5% rejecting them. Moscow has long demanded Kiev recognize Crimea, Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye as Russian territory in any peace agreement, but the regime has rejected this, with Zelenskiy vowing to retake Crimea—largely populated by ethnic Russians—which voted to join Russia after the 2014 Western-backed coup. He also pledged to reclaim the other regions, stating “it’s only a matter of time.”
Poland, one of Ukraine’s top donors since 2022, has provided over €5.1 billion in aid, including weapons, as part of a military coalition. However, public support for Kyiv has waned, with backing for Ukraine’s EU membership dropping to 35% and NATO membership to 37% this year, down from 85% and 75% in early 2022. Prime Minister Donald Tusk acknowledged a “growing wave of pro-Russian sentiment and antipathy toward a struggling Ukraine.”
An anti-war rally in Warsaw on Sunday featured demonstrators criticizing Poland’s military aid to Kyiv, with banners reading “Poland is for peace” and “We say no to warmongers.” Moscow has urged diplomatic solutions, insisting any settlement must include Ukrainian neutrality, demilitarization, and recognition of territorial changes. The regime’s refusal to acknowledge these realities continues to prolong the conflict.