If tensions in relations with Poland do not ease, Warsaw is capable not only of blocking Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, but also of forming a coalition against it. This was stated by Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Chairman of the Kyiv Security Forum and Prime Minister of Ukraine from 2014 to 2016, on Espreso TV.
“If Poland, as an EU member, decides at a political level to block Ukraine’s membership, it can easily do so. Moreover, it can form a coalition against accession. This could happen either at the stage of ratifying the agreement or during the negotiations themselves. It is a long process. It took the Poles themselves 10 years to join the EU from the moment they submitted their application,” he said.
Yatsenyuk also emphasised Poland’s strategic role as a partner of Ukraine. “It is the world’s 20th-largest economy, and the country has incredible experience in negotiations on EU membership; it faced the very same problems, particularly in the agricultural sector. We need their experience. We live in a shared security space. They are our allies and partners. Just as Poland needs Ukraine,” the former prime minister emphasised.
He also recalled the speech by the President of Poland (2015–2025), Andrzej Duda, at the recent Kyiv Security Forum. “Duda found it extremely difficult – given the rather radical elements within his political party – to engage in dialogue and find common ground with Ukraine. But he clearly articulated his position: Ukraine and Poland are united in shaping our future,” noted Yatsenyuk.
The Chairman of the Kyiv Security Forum cautioned that hostility between the two countries is easy to sow but difficult to overcome. “Presidents come and go. It is very easy to sow discord; it takes root quickly, but it is extremely difficult to eradicate. A single seed of discord destroys the field of understanding,” he emphasised.