Poland's presidential debate: Trzaskowski slams Nawrocki over 'Putin's language' on Ukraine's NATO bid

Poland's two presidential candidates, Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski and historian Karol Nawrocki, clashed over the country's relationship with Ukraine on May 23, just a week before Poles head to the polls in the June 1 presidential runoff.

Nawrocki, backed by the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, claimed President Volodymyr Zelensky "treats Poland badly" and defended his criticism of Ukraine's NATO bid by insisting, "I speak the language of Poles."

Nawrocki has signed an eight-point declaration that included a pledge to block Ukraine's accession to NATO in a bid to win support from far-right politician Slawomir Mentzen, who came in third in the first election round with almost 15%.

"You're using (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's language," Trzaskowski reacted, slamming Nawrocki's stance on NATO and Ukraine.

The conservative candidate rejected accusations of echoing Putin, saying, "Millions of Poles today would like to say this, but they can't, because the slogan 'you speak Putin's propaganda' immediately appears."

For years, the Kremlin has cited NATO expansion as a pretext for its aggressive behavior toward neighboring countries, using it to justify military actions in Ukraine and Georgia. A ban on Ukraine ever joining NATO is among the Kremlin's main demands for concluding a potential peace agreement to end the war it had started.

Liberal Trzaskowski, who is backed by the ruling coalition, narrowly led the first round on May 18 with 31.4% of the vote. He will face conservative Nawrocki, who came in second with 29.5%.

The debate was the last major televised showdown before the June 1 runoff, in which voters will choose between the two candidates.

While the Polish presidency is largely ceremonial, it has veto power — a critical check on the government. With Tusk's coalition lacking a three-fifths majority in parliament to override presidential vetoes, the outcome of the June 1 vote will shape the pace and direction of key domestic reforms.