The Polish Sejm approved new legislation on 13 September, regulating the status of Ukrainian citizens who fled Russia’s full-scale invasion and their eligibility for financial assistance, according to the Polish media PAP.

The bill, passed with 227 votes in favor, 194 against, and seven abstentions, emerged after President Karol Nawrotcki vetoed earlier amendments to the so-called 800+ aid program for Ukrainian citizens in Poland at the end of August.

“The 800+ benefit should only go to those Ukrainians who work in Poland,” Nawrotcki explained his decision to reject the previous legislation.

The new law ties benefit eligibility to professional activity and children’s enrollment in Polish schools, with exceptions for people with disabilities. Foreigners must earn at least 50% of the minimum wage – 2,333 zloty gross in 2025 – to qualify for payments.

Polish authorities will conduct monthly checks on whether Ukrainians are working, suspending 800+ payments for those who are not. The Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) will also verify through Border Guard records whether Ukrainian citizens have left Poland.

The legislation introduces mandatory PESEL numbers for benefit applicants and their children to improve identification. Officials will verify children’s presence in Polish territory when assigning these identification numbers.

Healthcare access for adult Ukrainian citizens faces new restrictions under the law, limiting medical rehabilitation, dental treatment, and pharmaceutical programs.

The Sejm extended the legal status of Ukrainians who fled the war until 4 March 2026, aligning with the European Union Council decision. Current regulations provide temporary protection until the end of September 2025, after which Ukrainians would face problems with legal employment.

Deputies rejected several opposition amendments during the vote. The Law and Justice (PiS) party’s proposals for harsher penalties for illegal border crossings, anti-Bandera propaganda laws, and extending the residency requirement for Polish citizenship from three to 10 years all failed.

Claudia Jachira from the Civic Coalition wanted to link 800+ benefits to employment activity for both foreigners and Polish citizens, but her amendment was rejected. The Together (Razem) group’s proposal to restore previous benefit conditions also lacked support.

The new regulations integrate databases from various institutions to monitor foreigners’ eligibility and eliminate benefit fraud attempts. The law takes effect the day after publication in the Official Journal.

Polish President Karol Nawrocki declared discussions about Ukraine’s future membership in the European Union and NATO “premature,” prompting a swift response from Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry that such talks are strategically necessary.

In an interview with Lithuanian broadcaster LRT, Nawrocki explained his position on NATO membership: “I believe that a country at war cannot join NATO, because that would mean that Poland and Lithuania would also be at war, so this discussion should be postponed – it’s simply impossible.”

Regarding EU accession, the Polish president referenced the lengthy membership processes of Poland and Lithuania, which lasted “many years” and required consideration of “many factors, including impact on economy and business sectors.”

“Of course, I believe that Ukraine should be part of civilization in the future, if we want to look for adjectives, let’s say Latin or Western civilization. However, in my opinion, today’s discussion about Ukraine’s membership in the European Union is premature,” Nawrocki said, adding that he personally does not participate in such discussions.

When Russia launched its full-scale invasion against Ukraine, Poles were the first to provide Ukraine with significant assistance in military equipment and accepted a million Ukrainians into Poland.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry responded to Nawrocki, emphasizing that the country’s security future is inseparably linked with NATO, while its political and economic future lies with the EU. The ministry stated that Ukraine’s membership in these alliances serves as “a guarantee of security not only for Ukraine, but for all of Europe.”

The Foreign Ministry said that this position has received confirmation “both in NATO and EU decisions, and in numerous statements by leaders of partner countries, including Poland.” Therefore, the ministry emphasized that discussions about Ukraine’s future membership in NATO and the EU are not premature, but rather “strategically necessary in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war.”

The ministry thanked Poland for the leadership it has demonstrated in supporting Ukraine since 2022.

During his presidential campaign, Nawrocki frequently referenced the Volyn tragedy, stating that Ukraine had no place in NATO or the EU until it “answered for crimes in Volyn.”

The Volyn tragedy refers to the mass killings of Polish civilians by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) in Volhynia and adjacent regions during 1943-1944, part of an ethnic conflict causing tens of thousands of deaths. The number of Polish victims is estimated between 35,000 and 60,000, with Ukrainian casualties also resulting from retaliatory actions.

In the LRT interview, when asked about historical issues between neighboring countries, Nawrocki addressed the Volyn massacre: “My position on this issue is clear: 80 years ago, women, children and elderly people killed by Ukrainian nationalists and their loss of life was also a very painful experience.” He added that Poles “do not demand revenge, they demand graves, memory, names and surnames, and naturally, the President of Poland demands justice.”

In 2025, Ukraine conducted joint exhumation and reburial efforts with Poland for victims of the Volyn tragedy, notably reburial ceremonies held in places like Puzhnyky village in Ternopil Oblast. Ukraine is cooperating closely with Polish authorities to respectfully exhume victims’ remains, perform DNA testing for identification, and reinter them in local cemeteries, in a process seen as a step toward historical reconciliation.

The Polish president also discussed regional security concerns, stating that Russia “remains a constant threat” regardless of changing political regimes.

“We know that Putin is very attached to Soviet traditions, the longing for the Soviet empire in his heart is really strong,” Nawrocki said.

Regarding hybrid warfare from Belarus, Nawrocki confirmed that both Lithuania and Poland face “hybrid attacks from the East,” with concrete numbers and facts supporting this assessment.

“Getting used to war is the greatest victory of the empire of evil from the East.” At Westerplatte in Gdańsk, during the ceremony marking the 86th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II, Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz called on the world to remember the lessons of history and resist Russian aggression, PAP reports. 

Poland: Support for Ukraine is a matter of national security

Kosiniak-Kamysz reminded that Poles cannot ignore the war against Ukraine.

“People and children are dying there. Bombs are falling on nurseries, kindergartens, and hospitals,” said the minister.

According to him, beyond civilizational, humanitarian, and Christian reasons to support Ukraine, there is another — the security of Poland itself.

Historical experience and national duty

The minister recalled that throughout history, Poles have often paid a high price for freedom.

“Supporting Ukrainian soldiers is the Polish reason for existence, Poland’s national interest, and Poland’s security,” he declared.

Kosiniak-Kamysz acknowledged that sensitivity tends to fade over time, but the state duty cannot be destroyed by fatigue or despair. He stressed that this is also a debt to the memory of the Polish soldiers who defended Westerplatte.

President Karol Nawrocki’s veto of legislation on aid to Ukrainian citizens has received backing from 59.8% of Polish respondents, according to a SW Research survey conducted for Onet on 26-27 August 2025.

The poll of 814 adults nationwide found that 25.4% opposed the presidential decision, while 14.7% answered “don’t know/hard to say” when asked whether they supported Nawrocki’s veto of the Ukraine assistance law.

Nawrocki announced his veto citing a key concern about the 800+ benefit program. “The 800+ benefit should be granted exclusively to Ukrainians who take up work in Poland,” the president said. He argued that current provisions do not ensure social justice.

The veto affects legislation that would have extended temporary residence rights for up to one million Ukrainian refugees beyond the September 2025 deadline, potentially leaving them without legal employment options.

The veto triggered strong political reactions across party lines. Politicians from Law and Justice and Confederation supported the presidential decision, while representatives from the Left and Civic Coalition sharply criticized it.

Men showed slightly higher support for the veto at 63.4% compared to 56.5% among women, the SW Research data reveals. The strongest backing came from the 25-34 age group, where 73.5% endorsed the decision. Support was lowest among respondents over 50, at 50.1%.

Geographic patterns also emerged in the polling data. Residents of towns with up to 20,000 inhabitants supported the veto most frequently at 67.8%, while those in cities exceeding 500,000 residents showed the lowest support at 55.5%.

Legal status of Ukrainian refugees at stake

The vetoed legislation addressed temporary residence rights for up to one million Ukrainians who arrived after Russia’s full-scale invasion began on 24 February 2022. Current regulations permit their stay until the end of September 2025. After this deadline, they will face difficulties with legal employment, among other issues.

Alongside his veto, Nawrocki submitted his own version of Ukraine assistance legislation to the Sejm, which has been sent for public consultations. The government announced it will present its own version of these provisions.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration estimates that the presidential veto could cost up to 8 billion zloty. These expenses would result primarily from administrative processing of thousands of residence legalization applications.

The Sejm retains the authority to reject the presidential proposal and pursue alternative legislative approaches to address Ukrainian refugee status and assistance programs.

In an editorial published on 27 August, Rzeczpospolita stated that in the fourth year of Russia’s all-out war against Ukraine, Polish President Karol Nawrocki has taken a position that aligns with the aggressor. The commentary by Zuzanna Dąbrowska focused on Nawrocki’s recent veto of a bill that would have expanded support for Ukrainian citizens, framing the decision as politically motivated rather than policy-based.

Domestic strategy behind the Ukraine aid veto

According to Rzeczpospolita, the Polish president’s veto marks the beginning of a process to unify Poland’s right-wing political forces in preparation for the 2027 parliamentary elections. Nawrocki needs to build a right-wing coalition between the Law and Justice (PiS) party and the Confederation, the article argues.

The editorial highlights Nawrocki’s signing of the Toruń Declaration promoted by pro-Russian politician Sławomir Mentzen as part of this broader strategy. It notes that unless the ruling coalition presents a strong presidential challenger, the right-wing bloc may achieve its goal of securing a constitutional majority.

A consistent anti-Ukraine stance

The piece argues that Nawrocki has maintained a clear and consistent anti-Ukrainian position since entering political life. While such positions are not unique among world leaders, the context of war renders them significant. According to Dąbrowska, in wartime there is a binary choice between supporting the victim of aggression or the aggressor. The op-ed concludes that for the president’s circle, this distinction appears secondary to internal political priorities.

Public attitudes and political response

Rzeczpospolita connects the shift in political decisions to changing public sentiment. The commentary states that societal attitudes are now shaping political behavior, and that political messaging in turn reinforces those attitudes. The result, it says, is a feedback loop that has already led to incidents of violence, public conflict, and discrimination against children.

Russian influence on Polish discourse

The op-ed also links the rise of anti-Ukrainian sentiment to earlier Russian disinformation campaigns. It notes that efforts originating in the Kremlin since 2022—using false stories, social media content, and memes—were initially dismissed as implausible. However, the article states that these narratives have become more influential and are now shaping public discourse. The seed planted by Moscow in 2022, the editorial says, is now producing results.

“This is the end of Starlink internet for Ukraine.” Poland’s Digital Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski has sharply criticized President Karol Nawrocki’s decision to veto a law on assistance to Ukrainians who fled Russia’s war. 

According to Gawkowski, the president’s veto effectively blocks providing Ukraine with internet access via Starlink and halts support for storing data from the Ukrainian state administration in secure Polish data centers.

“Karol Nawrocki is shutting down the Internet for Ukraine with his decision… This is the end of Starlink internet, which Poland provides to Ukraine, waging war.

This is also the end of support for storing Ukrainian administration data in a safe place,” says Gawkowski. 

“A gift to the Kremlin”

Gawkowski has stressed that this step plays into Russia’s hands. 

“I can’t imagine a better gift for Putin’s troops than cutting off Ukraine from the internet, which the President has just decided,” he claims. 

Politics versus security

The deputy prime minister appealed to the president, urging him to stop using veto power as a political weapon.

“Mr. President – you must stop blindly throwing punches at the government in the name of political fighting. You are harming people who are fighting for their independence and at the same time helping Russia,” Gawkowski concludes. 

Earlier, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said Kyiv tested the revolutionary Starlink Direct to Cell technology for the first time.

It allows smartphones to connect directly to satellites without special antennas or equipment. The technology could keep communications running even during massive attacks and blackouts. 

Kyiv sends first wartime text via new Starlink’s tech — no Russian-made blackout can interrupt it