A new poll conducted in six Western countries shows how positively their publics regard Poland’s response to the refugee crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
British research firm YouGov surveyed a sample of 8,500 respondents in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the United States. They were asked for their views on how the US, UK, France, Germany, the EU and Poland have responded to the war in Ukraine.
When it came to taking in refugees, respondents in every country gave by far the most positive assessment to Poland, with net positive ratings ranging from +53 to +71. By contrast, most countries gave the US and UK net negative assessments.
Europeans say that UK has been making a weak contribution when it comes to taking in Ukrainian refugees
Over half of Brits are in agreement with 53% saying that the UK is not pulling its weighthttps://t.co/lYyyjnSuvF pic.twitter.com/1g5suDpEGb
— YouGov (@YouGov) March 28, 2022
Since Russia’s invasion, Poland has been the primary destination for refugees from Ukraine. Among the roughly four million to have fled abroad, around two thirds (almost 2.4 million) have crossed into Poland.
While some of those have then moved on elsewhere, it is believe that the majority have remained in Poland. Around 300,000 are currently in Warsaw alone, meaning that the city’s population has increased by around 17% in the space of a month. Kraków has seen a similar rise.
The refugees have been supported by a range of national and local authorities, NGOs, religious organisations, businesses and individual Poles, many of whom have been hosting Ukrainian families in their own homes.
Poland deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for opening its doors to Ukrainian refugees, writes Matthew Day for the @Telegraph https://t.co/uN8vUl6vXo
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) March 23, 2022
YouGov’s poll also shows strong approval across all countries surveyed for the military aid Poland has provided to Ukraine. In January, a month before Russia’s attack, Poland’s government pledged to send ammunition to Ukraine.
It has since sent a range of material, including R-73 air-to-air missiles and Piorun man-portable air-defense systems, to Ukraine. Poland has also acted as a conduit for military supplies sent by other countries.
Last weekend, US President Joe Biden visited Poland to discuss the military and humanitarian situation. During his stay, he thanked Poles for “opening their hearts and their homes” to refugees, and pledged that the US would stand by its NATO ally in the face of any Russian aggression.
Main image credit: Jakub Orzechowski / Agencja Wyborcza.pl
Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
