Documentaries - Has Poland fallen out of love with Ukraine?
Overview
When President Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Poland opened its doors and their hearts to Ukrainian refugees. Millions of Ukrainians passed through Poland, getting all kinds of help from local people and from the Polish government. Many stayed. But there has been a dramatic change in feelings towards Ukrainians, particularly in recent months. From over 80% of Poles feeling positive about Ukrainians four years ago, that figure has fallen to 40%, according to opinion polls, while around half of Polish people express anti-Ukrainian sentiment. Cases of Ukrainians receiving verbal and physical abuse, both online and in real life have risen significantly. Polish military support for Kiev remains vital. So why has this downturn happened and what could the consequences be? John Murphy travels to Warsaw and to south-east Poland, close to the Ukrainian border, to speak to Poles and Ukrainians about how and why things are getting worse.