In 2026 Poland will allocate PLN 1.08 billion to social benefits and ongoing support for Ukrainian citizens residing in the country. backing will be implemented from the Aid Fund, which, although having a much smaller budget than in the first years of the war, remains an essential instrument of support.
The planned funds will be intended primarily for household benefits, wellness care, collective accommodation and education of children from Ukraine. At the same time, the existing provisions have limited access to any benefits. The 800 plus and Good Start programmes are no longer automatically available to all refugees. They are presently dependent on the legal employment of a parent in Poland and the attendance of a kid in the Polish school.
The strategy of integration of foreigners has besides changed. National Integration Offices are no longer active in the organisation of accommodation or payment of cash benefits. Their activity is now focused on professional activation, advice and learning Polish. In March 2026, any of the solutions in force since the beginning of the war were put out, and the legalization of the stay was regulated through the fresh CUKR residence permit.
However, Poland does not restrict support to civilian assistance only. In early 2026, the 48th military aid package worth about PLN 200 million was transferred to Ukraine. Details of the weapon provided have not been disclosed.
Warsaw besides continues to finance the functioning of Starlink's satellite communications systems, spending PLN 168 million for this purpose. This solution plays a key function in ensuring communication and command of Ukrainian armed forces. Expenditure related to the operation of the logistics centre in Jasionka, through which a crucial part of Western military assistance to Ukraine is received, is besides maintained.
Poland besides participates in global initiatives supporting Kiev. The NATO PURL program included $100 million in joint arms purchases. Ukrainian soldiers are inactive trained in Poland, and improvement aid includes reconstruction of critical infrastructure, medical and educational projects.
The scale of Polish support remains 1 of the largest in Europe. Between 2022 and 2023, the state spending on military, humanitarian and economical aid for Ukraine amounted to about PLN 106 billion, corresponding to 3.83% of Polish GDP. In addition, the value of aid provided by citizens, social organisations and entrepreneurs was estimated at around PLN 20 billion.
At the same time, the government emphasises that Poland's participation in the future reconstruction of Ukraine will not mean financing investments from the state budget. Infrastructure Minister Dariusz Klimczak pointed out that Polish public funds would not be utilized to build roads in Ukraine. On the another hand, it is possible to participate in reconstruction projects financed from global funds.
In parallel, the European Union has prepared another financial support package for Ukraine. The EUR 90 billion debt is intended to safe the functioning of the state from 2026 to 2027. A large part of the funds will be directed towards defence, including the acquisition of arms, while the remaining funds will support the state budget.
Since the beginning of the full-scale war, Ukraine has already received nearly $168 billion of abroad aid in the form of grants and loans. This made it possible to keep the functioning of administration, health, education and another public institutions, while national income is mostly utilized to finance war activities.
However, experts point out that the increasing dependence on abroad financing has a price. Ukrainian debt has already exceeded 100% of GDP, and debt handling has become 1 of the largest items in the state budget. A further challenge remains the continuing advanced trade deficit and the dependence of the economy on imports of fuels, equipment and components utilized by the defence industry.
Comment: The above reports powerfully indicate that for the Polish-speaking authority residing in Warsaw the needs of the nation, which – at least in explanation – seem to be irrelevant. All that matters is the prosperity of Ukraine...
