Poland

Great Britain took a big step towards next year’s Davis Cup qualifiers as Cameron Norrie and Arthur Fery both won to give them a 2-0 lead over Poland.

World number 34 Norrie survived a scare against world number 545 Tomasz Berkieta to win his nation’s opening World Group 1 match 7-6 (11-9) 6-4 in Gdynia, Poland.

Fery, ranked 227 in the world, then battled to a 6-4 6-2 victory over Olaf Pieczkowski, ranked 484.

The 23-year-old was making his Davis Cup debut after British number three Jacob Fearnley pulled out with a rib injury.

Britain need one more win on Saturday to reach February’s first round and therefore have a shot at winning the title in 2026.

The world’s number one doubles pair, Lloyd Glasspool and Julian Cash, will make their debut in Saturday’s doubles, which will be followed by two reverse singles.

World number seven Jack Draper was unavailable for the tie because of an arm injury which has ruled him out of the remainder of the season.

The new initiative, known as Eastern Sentry, follows incursion of Russian drones in Polish airspace on Wednesday.

NATO has announced a new initiative to bolster the security of its eastern European members in the wake of Russia’s violation of Polish airspace.

“NATO is launching Eastern Sentry to bolster our posture even further along our eastern flank,” Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Friday in Brussels during a joint news conference with NATO’s top commander in Europe, US General Alexus Grynkewich.

“This military activity will commence in the coming days and will involve a range of assets from allies, including Denmark, France, United Kingdom, Germany,” Rutte added.

The announcement comes two days after multiple Russian drones crossed into Poland on Wednesday, prompting NATO to send fighter jets to shoot them down and underlining long-held concerns about Russia’s three-year war in neighbouring Ukraine expanding.

NATO is still assessing whether Russia intentionally violated Poland’s airspace or not, Rutte said, but repeated that, either way, “it is reckless. It is unacceptable.”

“Although the immediacy of our focus is on Poland, this situation transcends the borders of one nation. What affects one ally affects us all,” Grynkewich said.

“Eastern Sentry will be flexible and agile, delivering even more focused deterrence and defence exactly when and where needed,” he added.

Russia said its forces had been attacking Ukraine at the time of the drone incursions and had not intended to hit any targets in Poland.

More allies to join

The new NATO mission, which begins on Friday evening, will involve a range of assets integrating air and ground bases.

Allies, including Denmark, France, the United Kingdom and Germany, have so far committed to the mission with others set to join, Rutte said.

Earlier on Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron said he would deploy three Rafale fighters to Poland.

“The security of the European continent is our top priority. We will not yield to Russia’s growing intimidation,” Macron posted on X.

The United Nations Security Council was set to meet on Friday at Poland’s request to discuss the incident.

Poland’s Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz thanked NATO for its “decisive action and decisions in response to Russia’s aggressive policy”.

The new deployment was “not only a strategic decision” but “an expression of responsibility for the security of the entire eastern flank of the alliance,” he added.

Here are the key events on day 1,296 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Here is how things stand on Friday, September 12:

Fighting

• Anti-aircraft units downed seven Ukrainian drones headed for Moscow early on Friday, according to the Russian capital’s mayor Sergei Sobyanin.
• Russian forces have taken control of the settlement of Sosnivka in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Thursday.
• A “massive” Ukrainian drone attack forced authorities in Russia’s Belgorod region to order children to stay at home while closing its schools and shopping centres, the regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.
• The Moscow-installed administration of the Russia-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station accused Ukraine of attacking a training centre at the plant with drones.

Regional security

• The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting to address Russia’s violation of Polish airspace earlier this week, Poland’s Foreign Ministry said.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pushed for a tougher response to the suspected Russian drone incursion into Poland from Kyiv’s allies, saying the move by Moscow was likely aimed at slowing supplies of air defences to Ukraine before winter.
• Polish President Karol Nawrocki claimed the Russian drone incursion was an attempt to test Poland’s and NATO’s capability to react militarily.
• The Russian drone incursion was a “kind of a prelude” to Russia’s upcoming “Zapad” military exercises in Belarus, Poland’s National Security Bureau chief said.
• Russia will not make any further comments on the shooting down by Poland of what Warsaw said were Russian drones in its airspace, the Kremlin said.

• Polish military representatives plan to visit Ukraine for training on shooting down drones, a source familiar with the matter said.
• France will deploy three Rafale fighter jets to help Poland protect its airspace after this week’s drone incursions, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday on X.
• NATO’s allied air command will provide Lithuania with better early warnings of aerial launches against Ukraine that could cross into Lithuania, NATO’s top military commander Alexus Grynkewich said.
• Germany will strengthen its commitment to NATO’s eastern border, including expanding “air policing over Poland” in response to the incursion of Russian drones, a government spokesperson said.
• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasised the need for Germany’s BND foreign intelligence service to heighten its operational levels in the wake of increased threats of hybrid attacks by Russia.

Military aid

• German arms giant Rheinmetall plans to manufacture artillery shells for Ukrainian forces at a future production plant in Ukraine, Kyiv’s defence minister said.
• Sweden’s Defence Ministry announced plans for 70 billion Swedish krona ($7.5bn) in military support for Ukraine over the next two years.

Politics and diplomacy

• President Zelenskyy said he had discussed joint weapons production with Washington and imposing further sanctions on Russia during talks with US envoy Keith Kellogg in Kyiv on Thursday.
• A representative of United States President Donald Trump told Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko that the US wanted to reopen its embassy in Minsk and normalise ties between the two countries, after Washington closed the embassy in 2022, the State-run Belta news agency reported.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin has still not decided on attending the APEC summit in South Korea next month, the Kremlin said.

Sanctions

• Several European Union members including the Netherlands, Czech Republic and Spain summoned their respective Russian ambassadors and charge d’affaires to express official condemnation of Russia violating Polish airspace earlier this week.
• A timeline for the imposition of the EU’s 19th package of sanctions against Russia is still undetermined, after an EU delegation returned from Washington, according to a European Commission spokesperson.
• The US will pressure G7 countries to impose higher tariffs on India and China for buying Russian oil, the Financial Times reported, as the US looks to ramp up sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine.

Poland’s president on Thursday said the Russian drone incursions into his country were not only deliberate, but they were a test of NATO’s ability to react to aerial threats. Meanwhile, Warsaw has ordered the closure of airspace along the border with Belarus and Ukraine, and NATO allies continue to provide additional air defense support.

In addition, the UN Security Council will convene tomorrow to take up the issue. Poland’s foreign minister, Radosław Sikorski said his country plans to use the security council meeting to “draw the world’s attention to this unprecedented Russian drone attack on a member of the UN, EU and NATO.”

These actions come a day after Polish authorities said 19 Russian drones entered the country’s airspace, with some of them being shot down by Polish and Dutch combat aircraft. You can catch up to our reporting on the incident in our story here.

“The Russian provocation was nothing more than an attempt to test our capabilities and responses,” Karol Nowracki stated on X. “It was an attempt to check the mechanism of action within NATO and our ability to react. Thanks to the wonderful Polish pilots and our allies, Poland, which is in NATO, will neither fear nor be frightened by Russian drones.”

“We passed all of these tests,” Nawrocki told troops during a visit to the 31st Tactical Air Base in Poznań-Krzesiny in western Poland, according to the Polish Polskiradio media outlet. That base “is a key hub in Poland’s air defense effort,” the outlet added.

Polish authorities say Russian drones began to violate the country’s airspace at around 11:30 PM local time Tuesday night. The last incursion was reported at 6:30 AM local time on Wednesday. The intrusions came amid a new round of Russian drone and missile attacks on neighboring Ukraine. 

Sikorski, Poland’s Foreign Minister, subsequently said there had been 19 total airspace violations. He also said Poland has assessed that the drones “did not veer off course but were deliberately targeted.”

Pictures that have emerged so far show the drones that have been retrieved look to be Gerberas, a cheaper and simplified Russian-developed complement to variants and derivatives of the Iranian-designed Shahed-136s. Gerbera, which has a far shorter range than the Shaheds, can be configured as kamikaze drones or decoys. It is unclear whether the ones that flew into Poland were armed, although we have seen no evidence of that at this time, which would make sense considering their supposed intended mission. It is also unclear if Shaheds were used in the operation, as well.

It was the only destination to score five stars for value for money

Europe boasts countless stunning cities ideal for weekend breaks or extended holidays, with one destination claiming the ultimate crown. Research by Which? Travel has declared Krakow the continent’s finest city break for an unprecedented fifth consecutive year.

The Which? study evaluated seven key factors: cuisine and beverages, lodging, cultural landmarks and attractions, retail offerings, transport convenience, crowd levels, and financial value. An overall rating was then determined based on general satisfaction and the likelihood visitors would recommend the destination.

Krakow topped the rankings with a remarkable 92% score. The Polish city earned five-star ratings for its food and drink, accommodation, and transport links.

Uniquely, it was the sole destination to achieve five stars for value for money, with Kayak data showing average nightly accommodation costs of just £86. The city also secured four stars for its cultural offerings.

One survey respondent commented: “Beautiful, mainly unspoilt city. Superb food at a fair price. I’ve stayed many times, and there are lots of good-value hotels. Friendly and pretty safe.”

Kraków is particularly renowned for enabling day excursions to historically significant sites like Auschwitz and the Wieliczka Salt Mine, creating a deeply meaningful travel experience.

One visitor to Kraków shared on TripAdvisor: “We visited over Easter weekend so it was extremely busy but the atmosphere was buzzing. The markets were on, a sun was blazing and the horse and carriages were clattering around the streets.

“Whilst there the area was clean and tidy, there was no trouble at all and it was great to see people carrying their Easter baskets. The buildings and churches were beautiful and we really enjoyed the park.”

Another chimed in: “Beautiful city, what I can highly recommend as a place to discover a little Poland. Lots of attractions around and legends.”

Naomi Leach, Deputy Editor of Which? Travel, sharing the survey results, said: “Whether you are looking for culture, art, history or top gastronomy, there are several European cities that deliver. Book ahead and choose to visit off season to secure the best prices.

“British holidaymakers who look beyond the most famous destinations, can find great value for money in foodie escapes, such as Krakow and Valencia. Despite the crowds, classic city breaks Venice and Vienna scored highly with visitors due to their unparalleled cultural attractions.”

Europe’s five best city breaks:

1. Kraków, Poland
2. Venice, Italy
3. Valencia, Spain
4. Vienna, Austria
5. Istanbul, Turkey

The UK Foreign Office has issued an update on advice for tourists travelling to Poland after multiple Russian drones were shot down over the country earlier this week

Russian drones entering Poland’s airspace were shot down this week, leading some people to fear that the war could spread to the West – and tourists wondering if it’s safe to travel to the country.

Millions of Brits travel to Poland every year often to check out the cultural cities of Kraków and Warsaw or visit the salt sculptures and chapels at the Wieliczka Salt Mine.

And it can also be a great place to have a cheap beach holiday according to some travellers, who have been raving about the largely unknown town of Gdańsk on the Baltic Coast of Northern Poland on TikTok.

READ MORE: European country has incredible overlooked beaches ‘like the Maldives’READ MORE: Pretty UK island easily accessible from mainland makes for ‘perfect autumn getaway’

It can be much cheaper than travelling to more popular destinations like Spain and Portugal – flights from London, Leeds and Liverpool to Gdańsk cost just £23, £31 and £33 respectively in September. Meanwhile, Park Gródek is often referred to as the ‘Maldives of Poland’ thanks to its crystal clear waters and picturesque landscape.

In fact the country is a sought-after destination all year round – Gdańsk Christmas Market boasts the title of Best Christmas Market in Europe 2024. While other popular and highly-regarded choices include the visually stunning Wrocław Christmas Market, famous for its colourful wooden stalls and the historic Kraków Christmas Market.

However, as Poland borders both Ukraine and Russia some people may be wondering if it’s safe to go there on holiday.

And as the Polish Prime Minister confirmed Russian drones were shot down earlier this week for violating Poland’s air space, the UK Foreign Office changed its guidance for anyone travelling to the country.

If you’re thinking of travelling to Poland the good news is that it’s still considered safe to travel although the UK Foreign office warns there could be some ‘disruption’.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office issued an update on its travel guidance for Poland on Wednesday September 10.

It said: “Poland’s airports are open but there may be travel disruption. Follow official Polish government announcements and updates from airlines.”

The Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed that Polish forces shot down Russian drones, which were violating the country’s airspace, in Warsaw, Poland on September 10, 2025.

He said 19 Russian drones entered the country’s airspace on Tuesday night during strikes on western Ukraine and up to four were shot down by Polish and Nato aircraft, BBC News reports.

Tusk wrote on social media that Polish airspace was violated by multiple Russian drones, saying: “Those drones that posed a direct threat were shot down.”

The Polish armed forces said on Wednesday morning that a search for possible crash sites is ongoing and urged people not to approach, touch or move any objects they see, warning that they may pose a threat and could contain hazardous material.

The incident saw Chopin Airport in Warsaw suspend flights for several hours on Wednesday September due to military operations.

READ MORE: Debenhams slashes TOG24’s ‘slimming’ and ‘warm’ raincoat by half price

Here are the key events on day 1,295 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Here is how things stand on Thursday, September 11:

Fighting

• Russian forces launched a “massive” attack across Ukraine, with 415 drones and 40 cruise and ballistic missiles, Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelenskyy said in a post on X on Wednesday.
• Ukrainian forces destroyed more than 380 Russian drones, including at least 250 Shahed drones, Zelenskyy added in a later post.
• Russia’s TASS state news agency said that a man who was injured by a Ukrainian drone while driving a truck has died in hospital, according to Ruslan Khomenko, the head of the Kherson region’s Aleshkinsky district.
• The Russian Ministry of Defence said that its forces shot down 225 Ukrainian drones and a guided missile in a 24-hour period, TASS reported.

Regional security

• Poland’s state news agency PAP reported that the remains of a third drone were found in the country’s Swietokrzyskie province after Polish and NATO forces shot down suspected Russian drones that entered Poland’s airspace on Wednesday.
• United States President Donald Trump offered his first reaction to Russia’s drone incursion into Poland, posing the question: “What’s with Russia violating Poland’s airspace with drones?” and exclaiming: “Here we go!” on his Truth Social platform.
• Trump also spoke with Polish President Karol Nawrocki on Wednesday afternoon, “regarding the repeated violation of Polish airspace by Russian drones, which occurred last night”, according to a post on X by the Polish leader.
• US ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker went on X to write: “We stand by our NATO Allies in the face of these airspace violations and will defend every inch of NATO territory.”
• Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed the Polish allegations as “myths” while Moscow’s Defence Ministry stressed that “there were no plans to hit any targets in Poland”, and expressed readiness to hold consultations with Polish counterparts.
• Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he has received “proposals for concrete support for the air defence of our country”, after speaking with the leaders of France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Ukraine and NATO.
• French President Emmanuel Macron said that the intrusion of “numerous” Russian drones into Polish airspace was “unacceptable” and showed “further evidence of Russia’s escalatory stance”.
• Macron also said he had an “excellent phone call” with President Trump, about the “troubling developments in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, particularly following Russian drone incursions into Poland”.

Military aid

• David McGuinty, Canada’s minister of national defence, said his country delivered eight Armoured Combat Support Vehicles (ACSVs) to Poland, which “are on their way to Ukraine”.
• The UK said it would mass-produce Ukrainian-designed interceptor drones to help Ukraine counter Russian missiles and one-way attack drones.

Sanctions

• President Zelenskyy said that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had informed him about work with the US on strengthening sanctions against Russia.
• US Republican Congressman Joe Wilson introduced a bill to reimpose Soviet-era trade restrictions on Russia, “after the attack on Poland”.
• The European Commission is considering listing some independent Chinese oil refineries in its 19th package of sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, with the possibility of the proposal coming as soon as Friday.

Poland has intercepted Russian drones that were flying over its airspace after completing a mission in western Ukraine. It’s the first time a NATO member nation has fired shots in Russia’s war on Ukraine.

DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY,

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk says military defences deployed after ‘multiple violations of Polish airspace’.

Poland has shot down drones over its territory after repeated violations of its airspace during a Russian aerial attack on neighbouring Ukraine, the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces said.

“During today’s attack by the Russian Federation targeting targets in Ukraine, our airspace was repeatedly violated by drones,” the Polish command said in a statement early on Wednesday.

“At the request of the Operational Commander of the Armed Forces, weapons have been used, and operations are under way to locate the downed targets,” the military said.

The army said that Polish and NATO military aircraft had been mobilised to ensure airspace safety.

“Polish and allied aircraft are operating in our airspace, while ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance systems have been brought to the highest state of readiness,” the operational command said.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed that an “operation is under way related to multiple violations of Polish airspace”.

Trwa operacja związana z wielokrotnym naruszeniem polskiej przestrzeni powietrznej. Przeciwko obiektom wojsko użyło uzbrojenia. Jestem w stałym kontakcie z Prezydentem i Ministrem Obrony. Odebrałem bezpośredni meldunek od dowódcy operacyjnego.

— Donald Tusk (@donaldtusk) September 10, 2025

Translation: An operation is under way related to multiple violations of Polish airspace. The military used armaments against the objects. I am in constant contact with the President and the Minister of Defence. I received a direct report from the operational commander.

Earlier, it was reported that four airports in Poland, including its main Chopin airport in Warsaw, were closed due to military activity.

According to notices posted to the US Federal Aviation Administration’s website, the three other airports closed were Rzeszow–Jasionka airport, the Warsaw Modlin airport, and the Lublin airport. Poland’s military did not mention the airport closures.

The military mobilisation in Poland came after Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russian drones had entered Polish airspace, posing a threat to the city of Zamosc, but the air force later removed the statement from its Telegram messaging app.

Most of Ukraine, including the western regions of Volyn and Lviv, which border Poland, were under air raid alerts for several hours overnight, according to Ukraine’s Air Force data.

Poland said earlier that it planned to close its border with Belarus at midnight local time on Thursday (22:00 GMT, Wednesday) due to Russian-led military exercises scheduled to take place in Belarus.

Russia and Belarus’s large-scale military exercises, known as the “Zapad” drills, have raised security concerns in neighbouring NATO member states: Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. The “Zapad-2025” (West-2025) drills will be held in western Russia and Belarus from Friday.

Asked about the duration of the border closure, Polish Minister of Interior Marcin Kierwinski said it would only be reopened when the government was sure “there was no more threat to Polish citizens”.

The Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had summoned the Polish charge d’affaires to complain about the border closure, which it said “caused significant difficulties”.

It described Poland’s move as “an abuse of its geographical position”.

“The temporary suspension of passage indicates rather an intention to conceal one’s own actions than the existence of any threat from Belarus,” the Foreign Ministry said.

Lithuania’s border guard said on Tuesday that the protection of its border with Belarus and Russia would be strengthened due to the exercises.

RUSSIAN drones have flown into Polish airspace, prompting NATO jets to be scrambled in response.

Polish and allied aircraft were activated in the early hours of Wednesday to ensure the county’s airspace is protected.

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It comes as Moscow continues to barrage Ukraine with relentless drone strikes.

Poland, a member of the NATO alliance, shares a border with Ukraine and has been one of Kyiv’s key international backers.

Warsaw’s operational command shared the tense news in a post on X.

“Polish and allied aircraft are operating in our airspace, while ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance systems have been brought to the highest state of readiness,” they said.

The Ukrainian Air Force earlier said on Telegram that Russian drones were tearing towards the city of Zamosc.

It is not clear how many drone entered Polish airspace.

This comes after a Russian air killed at least 24 people and injured 19 others in the Donetsk region.

A glide bomb struck the village of Yarova, which was home to around 1,700 people before the war.

Valium Filashkin, head of Donetsk Military Administration, said: “This is not military action – this is pure terrorism.”

Vladimir Putin’s forces continue to wreak devastation across Ukraine as Moscow‘s brutal full-scale invasion grinds on.

On Sunday, Russia unleashed a vicious barrage against Ukraine that killed four people.

A two-month old baby was among the victims of the barbaric strikes.

Poland is a member state of NATO, giving it protections under the Article 5 mutual defence agreement.

This means that an attack on one member state is deemed an attack on all, obliging countries including the US, the UK and France to come to their aid if the clause is invoked.

Pressure is mounting on the United States and allies to impose deeper sanctions on Russia amid the intensifying onslaught.

Speaking on the White House lawn after the attacks this weekend, Donald Trump said he’s “not happy with the whole situation”.

Sunday’s attack saw 805 drones and a dozen ballistic and cruise missiles fired at some of Ukraine‘s largest cities.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko told The New York Post the “barbaric attack proved we have to do whatever it takes to stop Russian war machine fuelled by oil and gas revenue”.

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More to follow… For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos.

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WASHINGTON — President Trump affirmed that the United States will keep a robust military presence in Poland as he had a warm meeting Wednesday with Karol Nawrocki, the new president of the American ally in Europe.

Trump had taken the unusual step of endorsing Nawrocki in the Polish elections this year, and as the leaders sat side by side in the White House, Trump said the U.S.-Polish relationship has always been strong but “now it’s better than ever.”

Asked by a reporter whether the U.S. planned to continue placing troops in Poland, Trump said that the U.S. would and that “we’ll put more there if they want.”

“We’ll be staying in Poland. We’re very much aligned with Poland,” Trump said.

The visit to Washington is Nawrocki’s first overseas trip since taking office last month. The former amateur boxer and historian, who was backed by the conservative Law and Justice party, was hoping to deepen his relationship with Trump at a fraught moment for Warsaw.

Nawrocki thanked Trump for his support and in a nod to the bonds between their countries, gave a particular hello to the millions of Polish Americans in the U.S.

“Those relations for me, for Poland, for Poles, are very important,” Nawrocki said.

He added that those bonds are based on shared values of independence and democracy.

Trump said he was proud to have endorsed Nawrocki and lauded him for winning his election.

“It was a pretty tough race, pretty nasty race, and he beat them all. And he beat them all very easily, and now he’s become even more popular as they got to know him and know him better,” Trump said.

Trump is increasingly frustrated by his inability to get Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky to sit down for direct talks aimed at ending their war. Both nations are Poland’s neighbors.

Trump last month met with Putin in Alaska and then with Zelensky and several European leaders at the White House. The Republican president emerged from those engagements confident that he would be able to quickly arrange direct talks between Putin and Zelensky and perhaps three-way talks in which he would participate.

But his optimism in hatching an agreement to end the war has dimmed as Putin has yet to signal an interest in sitting down with Zelensky.

“Maybe they have to fight a little longer,” Trump said in an interview with the conservative Daily Caller published over the weekend. “You know, just keep fighting — stupidly, keep fighting.”

There is also heightened anxiety in Poland, and across Europe, about Trump’s long-term commitment to a strong U.S. force posture on the continent — an essential deterrent to Russia.

Some key advisors in his administration have advocated for shifting U.S. troops and military from Europe to the Indo-Pacific to focus on China, the United States’ most significant strategic and economic competitor. About 8,200 American troops are stationed in Poland, but the force level regularly fluctuates, according to the Pentagon.

“The stakes are very high for President Nawrocki’s visit,” said Peter Doran, an analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “Trump will have an opportunity to size up Poland’s new president, and Nawrocki also will have the chance to do the same. Failure in this meeting would mean a pullback of American force posture in Poland, and success would mean a clear endorsement of Poland as one of America’s most important allies on the front line.”

When Nawrocki arrived at the White House, Trump gave him a hearty slap on the shoulder and stood with him as they watched U.S. military jets soaring over the South Lawn.

A group of F-16s flew in a missing man formation as a tribute to a Polish air force F-16 pilot, Maj. Maciej “Slab” Krakowian, who died in a crash in Poland on Aug. 28.

“Thank you for this gesture,” Nawrocki later told Trump.

Trump made clear before Poland’s election in the spring that he wanted Nawrocki to win, dangling the prospect of closer military ties if the Poles elected Nawrocki. Trump even hosted him at the White House before the vote.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also traveled to Poland shortly before Poland’s May election to tell Poles if they elected Nawrocki and other conservatives they would have a strong ally in Trump who would “ensure that you will be able to fight off enemies that do not share your values.”

Ultimately, Polish voters chose Nawrocki over liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski in a tight election.

Most of the power in Poland’s legislative system rests with an elected Parliament and a government chosen by the lawmakers. The president can veto legislation and represents the country abroad. Nawrocki has tense relations with the government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk, an ally of Trzaskowski.

Nawrocki has echoed some of Trump’s language on Ukraine.

He promises to continue Poland’s support for Ukraine but has been critical of Zelensky, accusing him of taking advantage of allies. Nawrocki has accused Ukrainian refugees of taking advantage of Polish generosity and vowed to prioritize Poles for social services such as healthcare and schooling.

At the same time, Nawrocki will be looking to emphasize to Trump that Russian aggression in Ukraine underscores that Putin can’t be trusted and that a strong U.S. presence in Poland remains an essential deterrent, said Heather Conley, a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where she focuses on transatlantic security and geopolitics.

Russia and ally Belarus are set to hold joint military exercises this month in Belarus, unnerving Poland as well as fellow North Atlantic Treaty Organization members Latvia and Lithuania.

“The message Nawrocki ultimately wants to give President Trump is how dangerous Putin’s revisionism is, and that it does not necessarily end with Ukraine,” Conley said.

Madhani and Price write for the Associated Press. AP writers Geir Moulson in Berlin and Konstantin Toropin contributed to this report.

Neighbour Poland has been one of Ukraine’s staunchest backers since Russia invaded in 2022.

Ukraine’s access to Elon Musk’s satellite internet service Starlink could be cut due to the Polish president’s veto of a refugee aid bill, a Polish deputy prime minister said, as a conflict between the government and head of state deepens and undermines the once ironclad support of its war-torn neighbour.

Poland pays for Ukraine to use Starlink, which provides crucial internet connectivity to the country and its military as they try to push back invading Russian forces.

Right-wing Polish President Karol Nawrocki on Monday vetoed a bill extending state financial support provided to Ukrainian refugees and unveiled plans to limit their future access to child benefits and healthcare.

However, Deputy Prime Minister and Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski said the vetoed legislation also provided the legal basis for providing Starlink to Ukraine.

“This is the end of Starlink internet, which Poland provides to Ukraine as it wages war,” he wrote on X.

Centrist Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk criticised the veto. But his government does not have the two-thirds majority in parliament needed to overcome the move.

“We cannot punish people for losing their job — particularly not innocent children. This is the ABC of human decency,” Labour Minister Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bak wrote on X.

Gawkowski, stressed that Nawrocki veto jeopardised Ukraine’s use of Starlink.

“We want to continue paying for internet by satellite for Ukraine. Unfortunately, this disastrous decision by the president greatly complicates things, and we will have to inform our partners that this support will finish at the end of September,” he told the PAP news agency.

Nawrocki’s spokesperson however, told the Reuters news agency that the basis for paying for Starlink could still be restored if parliament adopts a bill proposed by the president by the end of next month.

Since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, around one million refugees have settled in neighbouring Poland. Most of them are women and children.

Poland is a key supporter of Ukraine and a major transit route for Western aid but public attitudes towards Ukrainians have hardened.

Nawrocki, a staunch nationalist, had promised to cut social welfare benefits for Ukrainians during the campaign ahead of his election victory on June 1.

“I will not change my mind and I think that (this aid) should be limited only to Ukrainians who are committed to working in Poland,” Nawrocki, who took office this month, told reporters on Monday.

Nawrocki also said Ukrainians who do not work in Poland should not be allowed to receive free medical treatment as they do now.

“This puts us in a situation in which Polish citizens, in their own country, are less well treated than our Ukrainian guests,” he said.

Gawkowski said that Poland spent 77 million euros ($90 million) between 2022 and 2024 to buy and subscribe to Starlink systems for Ukraine.

A Ukrainian diplomatic source told the Reuters news agency that Kyiv was analysing the possible impact of the move on Ukrainians in Poland, adding they believed “their rights will be protected no less than in other EU countries”.

Ukrainian refugees are currently eligible to receive the monthly family benefit of 800 zlotys ($219) per child if their children attend Polish schools. Other EU countries such as Germany have also proposed cutting benefits recently.

In Poland, the president can propose bills and veto government legislation. The government can similarly also block the president’s proposals.

From NATO’s eastern frontier to the energy corridors of the Baltic, the partnership between Poland and the United States has become one of the most strategically consequential alliances of the 21st century. Forged through shared values and hardened by crisis, it’s a relationship that transcends party politics in both nations and speaks to a larger truth—namely, that while alliances can lead to instability and war, as shown by the interlocking obligations before World War I, alliances, whether bilateral or multilateral, can also promote international stability by deterring conflicts, enabling collective defense, and fostering cooperation and trade among member states.

Poland proves the point. Its journey from Soviet satellite to NATO membership in 1999 and European Union accession in 2004, following a decade-long process of integration and negotiation involving extensive political, economic, and legal preparations, is a story of determination and alignment with Western democratic principles. The drive toward NATO membership was reinforced by citizen advocacy and steady diplomacy, with the Polish-American community playing a quiet but influential role in building bridges between Warsaw and Washington. The U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey estimates there are nearly nine million Americans of Polish ancestry, making it one of the largest ethnic groups in the country.

From the outset, Poland understood that sovereignty in the modern era requires not only democratic governance but also a credible place within a collective security framework. Joining NATO was a strategic declaration that Poland’s future was bound to the transatlantic community. And it is precisely through NATO that the U.S.–Polish relationship contributes most visibly to international stability.

Response to Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

When Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Poland responded with clarity and speed, welcoming millions of Ukrainian refugees, supplying critical military aid, and urging allies to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank. Due to its geographic location bordering Ukraine, Belarus, and the Russian exclave Kaliningrad, Poland took a proactive stance to bolster its defenses and NATO’s regional presence. Poland launched a $2.5 billion national defense initiative called the “East Shield” that was specifically aimed at strengthening the country’s roughly 418-kilometer border with Belarus and 232-kilometer border with Kaliningrad—representing some of the EU’s easternmost external boundaries—which serve as key frontlines for the bloc’s security and border control.

 By shoring up NATO’s credibility and demonstrating readiness to act, Poland helped reduce the risk of wider escalation across Europe.

The U.S.–Poland defense relationship deepened accordingly. American troops are now a permanent presence on Polish soil. The U.S. Army’s V Corps forward command in Poznań, which operates from Camp Kościuszko—named for Tadeuscz Kościuszko, a national hero in both Poland and the U.S.—is responsible for coordinating and overseeing U.S. ground forces deployed in Europe. Missile defense systems such as Aegis Ashore strengthen NATO’s deterrent posture, and joint training exercises have become routine. These measures bind U.S. power to Poland’s geography, creating predictability in Europe’s most volatile region.

Poland’s overall defense spending speaks volumes. It’s approaching five percent of national GDP—more than double NATO’s longstanding benchmark of two percent of GDP for defense expenditures—and Poland’s procurement of Abrams tanks, “shoot-and-scoot” HIMARS rocket systems that are designed for rapid deployment relocation, and F-35 fighter jets ensures interoperability with U.S. forces. As U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth put it during a February 2025 press conference in Warsaw, Poland is a “model ally on the continent, willing to invest not just in their defense, but in our shared defense and defense of the continent.”

Transcending Party Politics

The relationship transcends party politics in both capitals, having remained robust under Republican and Democratic administrations in Washington—Trump, Biden, and now Trump’s second term—as well as across successive Polish governments of differing political orientations. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has reaffirmed that “Poland’s commitment to transatlantic relations and NATO must remain unquestionable,” regardless of political shifts in the U.S.

National security isn’t confined to the battlefield. Poland recognized early on that energy independence is a cornerstone of sovereignty, and it has acted decisively to cut reliance on Russian natural gas. The liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal at Świnoujście, which is named after Polish President Lech Kaczyński, who prioritized energy security, now receives regular LNG shipments from the U.S., while the Baltic Pipe project brings natural gas from Norway and strengthens regional supply diversity. Looking ahead, nuclear energy partnerships with American firms promise long-term stability and reduced dependence on fossil fuels.

This alignment in energy policy enhances Poland’s resilience while advancing broader U.S. goals of promoting secure, market-based energy in Europe. In strategic terms, an LNG tanker docking in Świnoujście is more than commerce. It’s a visible symbol of transatlantic solidarity.

Contrasting Russian Reactions

Russia’s reaction to Poland’s NATO membership stands in striking contrast to its view of Ukraine’s Western aspirations. When Poland joined NATO in 1999, Moscow voiced strong opposition, arguing that NATO’s eastward expansion threatened Russian security. Apart from diplomatic protests and some hostile rhetoric, however, Russia ultimately conceded Poland’s accession as a fait accompli. Moscow maintained cooperative channels with NATO and Poland, even as relations were strained. Poland, with its long history of independence struggles and clear Western orientation, was not seen as part of Russia’s cultural or political sphere. Moreover, by the time Central Europe was firmly integrated into NATO, Russia had little leverage to reverse the process.

Ukraine, however, occupies a different place in Moscow’s worldview. Russia regards Ukraine not only as a strategic buffer on its border but also as central to its own identity and history. Unlike Poland, Ukraine is portrayed in Russian narratives as a “brother nation” whose alignment with the West represents a profound geopolitical and cultural loss. For this reason, Russia tolerated NATO’s enlargement to Poland and the Baltics but drew the line at Ukraine, seeing its aspirations for NATO and EU membership as a direct existential threat, responding with annexation, proxy wars, and, ultimately, full-scale invasion. The contrast underscores the strategic weight of Poland’s alliance with the United States.

For Poland, it’s a relationship rooted in hard history: the loss of independence from 1795 to 1918, when the country was partitioned among Prussia, the Hapsburg monarchy, and Russia; the devastation of Nazi occupation; the long shadow of Soviet domination; and decades of Communist rule. That experience forged a national resolve that sovereignty can never be taken for granted and must be anchored in strong alliances. Today those alliances—most of all with the United States—are essential pillars of stability in Europe.

Dutch defence minister announces details of support for Poland as Polish authorities accuse Russia of ‘provocation’ after drone crash.

Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans has said his country is sending 300 troops and Patriot air defence missile systems to Poland to “defend NATO territory, protect supply to Ukraine, and deter Russian aggression”.

The Netherlands’ announcement on Wednesday came as Polish officials said that an object that fell in a cornfield in Poland’s east on Tuesday night may have been a Russian version of the Shahed drone.

The explosion from the drone broke windows in several houses in the village of Osiny, near Poland’s border with Ukraine, but no injuries were reported, according to an official cited by Poland’s state news agency PAP.

Brekelmans told Dutch public broadcaster NOS on Wednesday that the military support to Poland came alongside other countries providing similar assistance to the NATO-member country, which borders Ukraine.

Brekelmans emphasised that the Patriot systems would be operating in Poland, and the accompanying 300 troops did not mean the Netherlands was putting troops on the ground in Ukraine.

Germany deployed five Eurofighter combat aircraft to Poland earlier this month, according to a German air force spokesman cited by Germany’s DPA news agency. The Kyiv Independent news outlet reported the fighter jets were deployed ahead of joint Russian-Belarusian military drills.

Germany also sent five Eurofighter jets and an estimated 270 soldiers to Romania, DPA reported on Wednesday.

Two of the Eurofighter jets in Romania were mobilised for the first time on Tuesday night, in response to Russian air strikes near Ukraine’s border with Romania, DPA said.

The jets, which took off from a Romanian military airbase, returned without incident, DPA added.

Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz accused Russia of “provocation”, noting the drone incident within Poland’s borders on Tuesday came “at a special moment, when there are ongoing discussions about peace” in Ukraine, Polskie Radio reported.

Several European leaders accompanied Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the White House on Monday, where one of the main topics of discussion was European countries providing post-war security guarantees to Ukraine as part of discussions around ending the Russia-Ukraine war.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned on Wednesday that attempting to implement security issues relating to Ukraine without Moscow’s involvement was a “road to nowhere”.

“We cannot agree with the fact that now it is proposed to resolve questions of security, collective security, without the Russian Federation. This will not work,” Lavrov said.

England’s men claimed a comfortable 5-0 win over Poland as they get their Pool B campaign under way at the EuroHockey Championships in Monchengladbach.

David Goodfield put England ahead in the first half but the 2023 finalists were made to wait to extend their lead by a resolute Polish side that came through the qualifiers in Dublin last summer.

Jacob Payton swept in the second in the third quarter and Phil Roper, Sam Ward’s deflected penalty corner shot and a Tom Sorsby effort in the last minute, rounding off the scoring.

“We really stuck at our gameplan. I was really proud of the boys to keep digging in knowing we were doing the right thing and we perservered and scored a few more goals,” said midfielder Sorsby.

“I think I had more shots in that game than in my entire international career so far and I want to convert a few more.”

England will now face hosts Germany in their next fixture on Sunday, 14:00 BST, before taking on France on 12 August, 11:30 BST.

It started with a violent crime. In June, in the centre of Torun, central-north Poland, a Venezuelan man stabbed 24-year-old Klaudia, a Polish woman, to death as she was walking home from work through a park.

That horrific incident led to a silent march by thousands of protesters through Torun on Sunday, July 6. Local media reported that the march had been organised by supporters of the far-right Konfederacja political alliance and people carried signs saying “stop illegal immigration”.

Then came the rumours and misinformation. On July 14, someone in Walbrzych, southwestern Poland, called the police to report a Paraguayan man who had allegedly taken pictures of children on a playground.

The police stopped the man but did not find anything incriminating on his phone. That didn’t stop two Polish men from beating him up soon afterwards. And, the next day, a group of about 50 people stormed the hostel he and other migrants were living in. Some people threw flares into the building, and the owner has since been forced to close the hostel down.

In recent weeks, anti-migrant sentiment in Poland has been on the rise, spurred by far-right rhetoric, which asserts that Poland has been flooded with “unconstrained illegal migration”. Claims that migrants take local jobs and that they pose a threat to Poles both physically and figuratively, with their “foreign lifestyle”, are common and even encouraged by lawmakers.

One MP from Konfederacja – Konrad Berkowicz from Krakow – told TOK FM radio: “Xenophobia is an important element of our national unity. Condemning xenophobia and stifling it in the West has led to rapes and terrorist acts, that’s why we should cherish xenophobia.”

Elmi Abdi, 62, a Somali who came to Poland in 1996 as a refugee, told Al Jazeera: “Today, migrants are seen as responsible for all of Poland’s problems; we are scapegoats that all parties attack, even though politicians know it’s all untrue.” Today, Abdi is head of the Good Start foundation, which supports migrants, offering help with access to language classes, legal assistance and other matters.

“It is sad because we [immigrants] do everything to work safely here, pay taxes, and integrate into society.”

As misinformation – such as in the Walbrzych incident – about immigrants spreads, the Polish Migration Forum, a rights group, has called the atmosphere in Poland “pre-pogrom-like”.

“What distinguishes today’s situation is the violence. We are in a very bad place,” said Agnieszka Kosowicz, head of the forum. “Acts of violence already take place, people are subject to insults, threats and displays of hostility and contempt. This is a very alarming situation that requires a decisive response from the state.”

Rumours of ‘illegal returns’

On July 7, Poland reinstated border controls with Germany and Lithuania. That followed similar restrictions Germany imposed earlier in the year to discourage asylum seekers from entering through Poland.

Poland is also now actively monitoring the return of migrants – both asylum and non-asylum seekers – by the German police, as per European Union rules. These are people who arrived in Poland from outside the EU before crossing to Germany.

These returns of migrants by the German authorities are legal, but as rumours on the internet about “illegal returns” of migrants continue to spread, unofficial, far-right patrols have appeared at the borders to monitor the situation and make “citizen arrests” of individuals they believe to be entering the country illegally – so far without much success.

The EU accused Belarusian and Russian authorities of fomenting the EU’s migration crisis to destabilise the continent, by encouraging people from the Global South to travel to Belarus and then onwards into Europe via Poland.

In 2022, Poland built a fence along the border with Belarus to prevent migrants from entering the country irregularly. The fence, however, did little to physically stop migrants from coming in.

So, in March this year, Poland suspended the right to claim asylum altogether in a bid to deter people from coming.

All of this has served to stir up anti-migrant fear in Poland, which has been further amplified by far-right groups for their own political purposes.

‘We are being humiliated’

The hysteria reached a new high nearly two weeks ago, when, on Saturday, July 19, anti-migrant marches organised by the far-right Konfederacja party and football fans swept through 80 Polish towns and cities, shouting racist slurs and slogans.

Sixteen-year-old Nikola, who did not want to give her surname, told Al Jazeera that she had travelled 125km (80 miles) from her home in Gorlice, southern Poland, to attend the march in Krakow. She said she came along after watching videos on YouTube claiming that, in Western Europe, people are “afraid to leave their homes” because of the number of undocumented immigrants.

She said it was important to her to join a cause that “unites Poles today”.

“I wanted to be part of a community. People are showing those at the top that they care about security and that Poland is our country. We should do everything we can to prevent what’s happening in Western Europe,” she said.

“I’d like to feel safe in my city, and I’ve already seen a few people who looked like they are not from here,” she added.

On the march, Nikola joined a large column of several hundred people, many of them wearing Polish patriotic T-shirts and emblems of the Wisla football club, walking to Market Square. On the way, they passed tourists, some of whom were filming the protesters.

Three elderly women proudly waved white-and-red Polish flags among the football fans. “The nation has had enough of what’s happening. It’s waking up because we’re living under terror, being humiliated,” said Danuta, 60, who also did not want to give her full name. “The borders are not sealed and have to be defended by civilians,” she added, referring to the right-wing groups who patrol the Polish-German border.

On Market Square in the centre of the city, the march crossed paths with a smaller counterdemonstration organised by local left-wing groups, and the two groups exchanged insults while separated by the police.

The police did not record any major incidents during the day. But Abdi and other migrants Al Jazeera spoke with by telephone said they did not dare to leave their homes on Saturday.

Fake news fans the flames

According to experts, anti-migrant sentiment in Poland has been spurred by misinformation and fake news about the number of people entering the country, which does not reflect reality.

“Poland is not experiencing any large-scale irregular migration,” said Kosowicz. “Within the Dublin procedure [under EU rules], Germany returns people who claimed asylum in Poland and then crossed into Germany. In 2024, there were 688 such people, and this year – 318. This is nothing new.”

According to the International Migration Outlook report for 2024 from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 2.2 percent of Poland’s population was foreign-born in 2023. This is low compared with other European countries such as the UK (15.4 percent), Germany (18.2 percent) and France (13.8 percent).

In 2022, 152,000 immigrants obtained residence permits for more than one year in Poland, the OECD said.

At the Polish-Belarusian border, which has been used by migrants from Global South countries trying to reach Europe since 2021, incoming numbers of migrants have not been particularly high, either. According to official data, from January to late June this year, 15,022 illegal crossing attempts were recorded, of which only 5 percent were successful.

In 2024, there were nearly 30,000 attempts, out of which, by contrast, one-third (10,900) were successful. In 2021, before Poland built a fence at the border with Belarus, the number of attempts reached 52,000.

Kosowicz also blames the government, which she says has failed to build awareness about the costs and benefits of development and migration, making all foreigners potential victims of hate attacks.

“A study by Deloitte and UNHCR says that 2.7 percent of Polish GDP comes solely from the work of Ukrainian refugees. But this isn’t the information we hear from politicians,” she said.

Abdi, who is married to a Polish woman with whom he has two children, worries greatly about their future.

“When I arrived here, the Poles welcomed me wonderfully, and I care deeply about Poland; it’s my home. I want it to be safe for everyone,” he told Al Jazeera in fluent Polish.

“At the marches, people shout that they want a white Poland. I’m old enough, I’m not afraid of anything. But I am worried about my children.”

Post-war Poland has enjoyed proper independence now for little more than 35 years. And it wants to keep it that way. But there are external pressures which Poles believe put them under very real threat.

Kyiv, Ukraine – Nadiya escaped the rapists and killers only because her father hid her in a haystack amidst the shooting, shouting and bloodshed that took place 82 years ago.

“He covered me with hay and told me not to get out no matter what,” the 94-year-old woman told Al Jazeera – and asked to withhold her last name and personal details.

On July 11, 1943, members of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UIA), a nationalist paramilitary group armed with axes, knives and guns, stormed Nadiya’s village on the Polish-Ukrainian border, killing ethnic Polish men and raping women.

“They also killed anyone who tried to protect the Poles,” Nadiya said.

The nonagenarian is frail and doesn’t go out much, but her face, framed by milky white hair, lights up when she recalls the names and birthdays of her grand- and great-grandchildren.

She also remembers the names of her neighbours who were killed or forced to flee to Poland, even though her parents never spoke about the attack, now known as the Volyn massacre.

“The Soviets forbade it,” Nadiya said, noting how Moscow demonised the UIA, which kept fighting the Soviets until the early 1950s.

Nadiya said her account may enrage today’s Ukrainian nationalists who lionise fighters of the UIA for having championed freedom from Moscow during World War II.

After Communist purges, violent atheism, forced collectivisation and a famine that killed millions of Ukrainians, the UIA leaders chose what they thought was the lesser of two evils. They sided with Nazi Germany, which invaded the USSR in 1941.

In the end, though, the Nazis refused to carve out an independent Ukraine and threw one of the UIA’s leaders, Stepan Bandera, into a concentration camp.

But another UIA leader, Roman Shukhevych, was accused of playing a role in the Holocaust – and in the mass killings of ethnic Poles in what is now the western Ukrainian region of Volyn and adjacent areas in 1943.

Genocide?

Up to 100,000 civilian Poles, including women and children, were stabbed, axed, beaten or burned to death during the Volyn massacre, according to survivors, Polish historians and officials who consider it a “genocide”.

“What’s horrifying isn’t the numbers but the way the murders were carried out,” Robert Derevenda of the Polish Institute of National Memory told Polskie Radio on July 11.

This year, the Polish parliament decreed July 11 as “The Volyn Massacre Day” in remembrance of the 1943 killings.

“A martyr’s death for just being Polish deserves to be commemorated,” the bill said.

“From Poland’s viewpoint, yes, this is a tragedy of the Polish people, and Poland is fully entitled to commemorate it,” Kyiv-based analyst Igar Tyshkevych told Al Jazeera.

However, rightist Polish politicians may use the day to promote anti-Ukrainian narratives, and a harsh response from Kyiv may further trigger tensions, he said.

“All of these processes ideally should be a matter of discussion among historians, not politicians,” he added.

Ukrainian politicians and historians, meanwhile, call the Volyn massacre a “tragedy”. They cite a lower death toll and accuse the Polish army of the reciprocal killing of tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilians.

In post-Soviet Ukraine, UIA leaders Bandera and Shukhevych have often been hailed as national heroes, and hundreds of streets, city squares and other landmarks are named after them.

Evolving views and politics

“[The USSR] branded ‘Banderite’ any proponent of Ukraine’s independence or even any average person who stood for the legitimacy of public representation of Ukrainian culture,” Kyiv-based human rights advocate Vyacheslav Likhachyov told Al Jazeera.

The demonisation backfired when many advocates of Ukraine’s independence began to sympathise with Bandera and the UIA, “turning a blind eye to their radicalism, xenophobia and political violence”, he said.

In the 2000s, anti-Russian Ukrainian leaders began to celebrate the UIA, despite objections from many Ukrainians, especially in the eastern and southern regions.

These days, the UIA is seen through a somewhat myopic prism of Ukraine’s ongoing war with Russia, according to Likhachyov.

Ukraine’s political establishment sees the Volyn massacre and armed skirmishes between Ukrainians and Poles as only “a war related to the Ukrainians’ ‘fight for their land’”, according to Nikolay Mitrokhin, a researcher at Bremen University in Germany.

“And during a war, they say, anything happens, and a village, where the majority is on the enemy’s side, is considered a ‘legitimate target’,” he explained.

Many right-leaning Ukrainian youngsters “fully accepted” Bandera’s radicalism and the cult of militant nationalism, he said.

Before Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, thousands of far-right nationalists rallied throughout Ukraine to commemorate Bandera’s January 1 birthday.

“Bandera is our father, Ukraine is our mother,” they chanted.

Within hours, the Polish and Israeli embassies issued declarations in protest, reminding them of the UIA’s role in the Holocaust and the Volyn massacre.

Far-right activists began volunteering to fight Moscow-backed separatists in southeastern Ukraine in 2014 and enlisted in droves in 2022.

“In the situational threat to [Ukraine’s] very existence, there’s no room for reflection and self-analysis,” rights advocate Likhachyov said.

Warsaw, meanwhile, will keep using the Volyn massacre to make demands for concessions while threatening to oppose Ukraine’s integration into the European Union, he said.

As for Moscow, it “traditionally plays” the dispute to sow discord between Kyiv and Warsaw, analyst Tyshkevych said, and to accuse Ukrainian leaders of “neo-Nazi” proclivities.

Is reconciliation possible?

Today, memories of the Volyn massacre remain deeply contested. For many Ukrainians, the UIA’s image as freedom fighters has been bolstered by Russia’s 2022 invasion, somewhat pushing aside reflection on the group’s role in the World War II atrocities.

For Poland, commemoration of the massacre has become a marker of national trauma and, at times, a point of leverage in political disputes with Ukraine.

In April, Polish experts began exhuming the remnants of the Volyn massacre victims in the western Ukrainian village of Puzhniky after Kyiv lifted a seven-year moratorium on such exhumations. Some believe this may be a first step in overcoming the tensions over the Volyn massacre.

Reconciliation, historians say, won’t come easily.

“The way to reconciliation is often painful and requires people to accept historical realities they’re uncomfortable with,” Ivar Dale, a senior policy adviser with the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, a human rights watchdog, told Al Jazeera.

“Both [Poland and Ukraine] are modern European democracies that  can handle an objective investigation of past atrocities in ways that a country like Russia unfortunately can not,” he said.

Kraków, Poland, is one of Europe’s cheapest cities to visit for a city break, and it’s only a short flight away from the UK.

I’ve enjoyed city breaks in various European countries, including Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. However, my recent trip to Kraków, Poland, was truly unforgettable. The affordability of the journey and the city itself, coupled with its walkability, made it stand out. Unlike many European cities that necessitate trams, trains or metros for getting around, Kraków was refreshingly different.

Plus, it’s less than a two-hour flight from London. Once the capital of Poland, Kraków is so compact that the only transport I needed was the train from the airport to the city centre. Beyond this, everything was within a 20-minute stroll from the main square.

Kraków had been on my travel wishlist for five years due to its stunning architecture and rich history, reports the Express.

My primary reason for visiting was an excursion to Auschwitz to learn about the Holocaust, so I didn’t have high expectations for city exploration.

However, as I wandered around, I kept discovering hidden treasures, and I fell in love with the city.

From the market square known as Rynek Glowny to the Wawel Royal Castle, all the key sights were just a short walk away from each other.

The square is home to the Cloth Hall, a trading centre from the Renaissance period, and a Gothic church dating back to the 14th century.

Planty Park and the remnants of the medieval city walls encircle the city. The park offers such serenity that it hardly feels like you’re in a city, and it provides easy access to almost everything.

The architecture is truly stunning, with a fusion of historical styles adorning well-maintained streets.

The Jewish quarter is another must-see, boasting a variety of historical synagogues, museums, art galleries, as well as unique restaurants and bars.

When it comes to food, there’s an endless array of both Polish specialities and other European cuisines.

I was pleasantly surprised by how affordable it was – a chicken burger and chips cost around £8, Polish dumplings were just £3 to £4, and the most delectable spaghetti carbonara was only £9.

While drinks, particularly cocktails and alcoholic beverages, were slightly pricier, they were still considerably cheaper than in other cities I’ve visited, such as Berlin and Copenhagen.

I wholeheartedly recommend a weekend trip to Kraków, whether you’re seeking culture, history, or simply relaxation.