If anti-Ukrainian forces were to prevail in Poland, around 1.5 million Ukrainians could either return to their homeland or move further west into Europe, former Polish President Aleksander Kwaśniewski has warned. In his view, such a development would inevitably weaken key sectors of Poland’s economy, including public services, healthcare, elderly care, and construction.

“And then we would have no one to blame but ourselves in the years to come,” he said in an interview. Kwaśniewski noted that anti-Ukrainian rhetoric has become increasingly loud in Poland. He also pointed out that many Poles have grown accustomed to the ongoing war in Ukraine, while certain incidents continue to irritate public opinion—for example, when a Ukrainian blogger drove a car into the Morskie Oko area.

The former president observed that playing the anti-Ukrainian card has become politically advantageous. “This is my warning to the major parties, which should act responsibly and avoid being drawn into this pattern. I say this both to the Civic Coalition and to Law and Justice (PiS),” he stressed.

Kwaśniewski described the presence of 1.5 million Ukrainians in Poland as “a gift.” He emphasized that at a time of deep demographic crisis and in the absence of a clear migration policy, their contribution represents significant support for the Polish economy.

The former president underlined that the issue of Ukraine is “complex,” and he expects politicians to begin a serious dialogue on the matter. “At least within working groups, because we will soon face challenges that are even more complicated than exhumations and the historical disputes surrounding them,” he said, referring in particular to Ukraine’s future accession process to the European Union.