ASYNCHRONISED GOALS OF UKRAINIAN AND POLISH CIVIL SOCIETIES: A CHALLENGE FOR BILATERAL STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

Abstract

This article examines the role of Ukrainian and Polish civil societies in advancing the objectives of the countries’ strategic partnership. A comparative analysis highlights an asynchrony between the goals of the two civil societies, attributed to several factors. This asynchrony is shown to complicate the formation of a shared geopolitical space for the countries of Central Europe and, to some extent, Eastern Europe. The absence of such a space makes it impossible to establish a new European security architecture capable of responding adequately to the threats posed by neo-imperial Russia. The article argues that the misalignment of Ukrainian and Polish civil society goals limits Poland’s potential and prospects as a sub-regional leader. For Ukraine, this misalignment generates new areas of tension that undermine trust between neighbouring states and reinforce mutual negative perceptions, thereby complicating joint efforts to counter Russian aggression. The analysis further demonstrates that Russia exploits this asynchrony by disseminating propaganda, promoting destructive narratives, and hindering Ukrainian-Polish progress towards Europe. The study underscores that this situation stands in contrast to Jerzy Giedroyc’s conception of Ukrainian–Polish partnership – particularly its cultural dimension – which emphasised mutual understanding fostered through an intellectual space for dialogue among politicians and ordinary citizens of both nations.