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3h ago

Polish President Vetoes Refugee Aid Extension, Risks Cut to Ukraine's Starlink Funding

Karol Nawrocki wants benefits limited to Ukrainians in work, a move the government lacks the votes to override.

Polish President Karol Nawrocki gives a statement to the media at the presidential palace in Warsaw, Poland, August 21, 2025. REUTERS/Kuba Stezycki/File Photo
Poland's President Karol Nawrocki has vetoed legislation that would extend child benefits given to Ukrainians in Poland
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Overview

  • President Karol Nawrocki blocked a bill that would have extended the 800‑zloty monthly child benefit for Ukrainian refugees to March 2026, with the current scheme set to expire at the end of September.
  • He said only Ukrainians employed in Poland should receive family allowances and free healthcare and he plans to file his own legislation to that effect.
  • Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski warned the veto removes the legal basis for Poland to fund Ukraine’s Starlink from October 1, while the presidency said payments could continue if parliament adopts the president’s bill by the end of next month.
  • Prime Minister Donald Tusk criticized the decision, yet his coalition lacks the two‑thirds majority needed to overturn a presidential veto, reinforcing a broader governmental stalemate.
  • Nawrocki also proposed amending the criminal code to equate promotion of Stepan Bandera with symbols of Nazism and Soviet communism, escalating historical tensions in Polish‑Ukrainian relations.