WYBUCH WOJNY I JEJ WPŁYW NA POSTAWY MŁODZIEŻY: STUDIUM PORÓWNAWCZE POLSKICH I UKRAIŃSKICH STUDENTÓW WOBEC ZAGROŻENIA WOJENNEGO

Abstract

For over three years now, the so-called full-scale war initiated by the Russian Federation against Ukraine has been ongoing. This conflict marks another phase of the post-colonial war that has been continuous since 2014. With the failure to fulfill the promise of "taking Kyiv in three days," both the Russian propaganda machine and Kremlin politicians are increasingly outspoken about the possibility of aggression against neighboring countries that are part of NATO. Against this backdrop, it seems interesting to analyze how Polish and Ukrainian youth studying in the Republic of Poland would react. This article presents a portion of the data collected as part of broader research on youth in Central Europe, particularly relevant for identifying trends currently prevailing in the front-line areas of Poland. Ten Ukrainians and eleven Poles participated in four focus groups, where they were asked how they would behave in the event of an aggression against the country in which they currently reside— Poland. The results are not promising: Polish youth are not interested in defending their homeland, while on the other hand, among Ukrainian youth, there is a noticeable willingness to help Poles fight the invader. Poles participated in four focus groups, where they were asked how they would behave in the event of an aggression against the country in which they currently reside— Poland. The results are not promising: Polish youth are not interested in defending their homeland, while on the other hand, among Ukrainian youth, there is a noticeable willingness to help Poles fight the invader.