Poland’s president-elect, Karol Nawrocki, has stated that Ukraine needs to fulfill certain obligations before it can be considered for EU membership, and that it is currently ineligible for joining NATO.

Speaking to Polsat News on Monday, Nawrocki clarified his position regarding Ukraine’s Western integration goals. He is expected to assume presidential duties in early August and said he plans to meet with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky after taking office.

“I oppose Ukraine entering the European Union without meeting the necessary conditions,” Nawrocki said. While he acknowledged that there could be strategic advantages to Ukraine’s future membership in the EU, he emphasized that such an entry must be based on fair and balanced terms.

He also noted that Poland itself had to undergo a lengthy process to meet EU criteria before joining, suggesting Ukraine should be held to the same standard.

Nawrocki also referred to recent disputes between Warsaw and Kiev over agricultural trade and Ukraine’s honoring of historical figures linked to violence against Poles during World War II.

“As long as the war with Russia continues, Ukraine cannot join NATO,” he added, warning that doing so would effectively draw all NATO members into a direct confrontation with Moscow.

Russia has often cited NATO’s 2008 pledge to admit Ukraine as a fundamental security threat. The Kremlin claims that Ukraine’s closer ties with NATO after the 2014 coup were a key reason for the ongoing conflict.

Meanwhile, Moscow now views the European Union as not just an economic body but also a military one aligned with NATO. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recently described the EU as a “military extension of NATO.”

Brussels has encouraged EU states to dramatically increase defense spending, projecting hundreds of billions of euros in military investments. Russian officials have criticized this as fear-driven policy aimed at redirecting resources from social programs.