The stance of Poland and the Poles on the settlement of the armed conflict in Donbas in 2014‒2021

The objective is to analyze the stance of Poland and the Poles on the settlement of the armed conflict in Donbas in 2014-2021. The research methodology is based on both general scientific (synthesis, analysis, generalization) and special scientific (chronological, comparative) methods. Scientific novelty. The author has studied press materials and certain sociological surveys, which were first introduced into scientific circulation. As a result of the study of the sources and literature, the author has analyzed the stance of the Republic of Poland and its citizens on the settlement of the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine in 2014-2021. The reasons for the involvement of Polish political elites in the settlement of hostilities in Donbas have been established. It has been determined that the Polish political elite and media environment were skeptical about the Minsk Agreements of 2014 and 2015. Conclusions. After the beginning of Russian aggression against Ukraine in 2014, Poland and its citizens supported the Ukrainian state by providing financial and humanitarian assistance. The political elites of Poland sought to contribute to the settlement of the armed conflict in Donbas, using all possible levers of influence in the international arena. However, Polish diplomacy was sidelined from the direct negotiations on the settlement of the conflict in Donbas that took place in Minsk in 2014 and 2015. The agreements signed in the Belarusian capital caused disappointment and skepticism in Polish society, which was due to both the absence of official Warsaw at the negotiating table and distrust in the practical implementation of the provisions of the peace agreements. The change of power in Poland in 2015 did not affect the country's overall position on the settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine. The new leadership, represented by the Law and Justice party, relying on public support, continued to insist on a more active role of Warsaw in resolving the armed conflict in Donbas and ensuring a lasting peace in Ukraine.