STUDIA NAD BEZPIECZEŃSTWEM
Nr 9 s. 117–130 2024
ISSN 2543–7321
© Instytut Bezpieczeństwa i Socjologii,
Uniwersytet Pomorski w Słupsku
Przyjęto: 22.12.2024
Zaakceptowano: 22.12.2024
Oryginalna praca badawcza DOI: 10.34858/SNB.9.2024.007
Dawid Czarnecki

e-mail: dawid.czarnecki@twojestudia.pl

THE WAR IN UKRAINE AND POLISH SECURITY
AS PERCEIVED BY THE LOCAL COMMUNITY
WOJNA NA UKRAINIE A BEZPIECZEŃSTWO POLSKI
W OCZACH LOKALNEJ SPOŁECZNOŚCI
Abstract: The Russian invasion of Ukraine was a turning point for the global security


citizens’ sense of fear. This new type of hybrid war, involving a serious humanitarian and
economic crisis and hardship, as well as disinformation and propaganda campaigns and
far-reaching political tensions over energy supplies and the threat of nuclear war, will
-
tershed period and forces a shift in regional and global security thinking. This change
   

results of an original empirical study in which various aspects of the perception of the

Zarys treści         
     
           
        -

Dawid Czarnecki
        -
       -

-
-

  -
        -

Keywords
Słowa kluczowe: 
Introduction
Security is ranked among the most important needs and values of every
human being. It represents both a personal and a social good in local, nation-
al and global terms. The need for security is one of the basic human needs,
although the history of mankind’s existence largely comprises the history of
-
ements that have accompanied the world from the dawn of human existence
up to the present day, and give rise to the interest of states and societies. Rus-

our social and economic life. The Russian-Ukrainian war, launched by the
-
rity of the world. Entrenched Russian imperialism has taken an unheard-of

sovereign state of Ukraine has been violated, through the slaughter and loot-
ing of civilians, and where there is no chance of victory, towns and villages
are destroyed and civilians are kidnapped and taken deep into Russia. The
passing of time has proven that the war in Ukraine has reached many aspects
of the functioning of states in its political, legal, economic and social dimen-


118
The War in Ukraine and Polish Security as Perceived…

impact also has global repercussions. The war in Ukraine has led to a gener-
al heightened sense of insecurity among the public about the occurrence of
-
formation in the Internet space are increasing this feeling of fear. The subject
of the research, the results of which are presented in this article, is the ongo-

the research was to assess the opinion of the local community regarding the

of the war in 2022. The main research problem was formulated in the form of
-


crisis? How has the war caused a change in the perception of the security of

of Ukraine change the regional security architecture?
For further consideration and analysis, a hypothesis was adopted assuming
that the full-scale Russian attack on Ukraine, which increased feelings of

for tighter restrictions in relations with Russia and increased aid to Ukraine.
In order to achieve the stated aim of the study and to obtain an answer to the
problem question posed above, a survey in the Starogard district was con-
           
    
-

themselves, which was used to analyse the sense of security of the surveyed



was applied to the available source material (articles, reports, monographs).

Internet sources in situations where posted articles are clearly propagandistic
in nature and thus of little substantive value.
119
Dawid Czarnecki
Actions of the Polish authorities in the face of the Ukraine-Russia
conict

and Central and Eastern Europe. The ongoing strategic activities of the Russian




hostile actions against Russia, have been recognised as a source of threats of
a military nature’.





which threats were seen primarily in the aggressive actions of Russia’.
The security policy sets out the principles, processes and methods of the
state security management system to achieve the desired security outcomes.
   -
provement of security in all aspects of its activities. The management bears
 

Ukraine.

-

-
ciety. In relation to the processes taking place in Ukraine, one may be particu-
larly surprised by the attitude of certain politicians who, in the face of the threat
to the state, look for enemies in neighbouring countries and in the European
Union, and at the same time meet with the leaders of European conservative
1
Bezpieczeństwo Polski w świetle działań wojennych Rosji na Ukrainie,
“
2
J. Bornio, Bezpieczeństwo narodowe Polski w kontekście kryzysu ukraińskiego. Wymiar
polityczno-militarny
M. Stolarczyk, Dylematy bezpieczeństwa Polski w kontekście kryzysu i koniktu ukraiń-
skiego w latach 2013– 2014Dylematy polityki bez-
pieczeństwa Polski na początku drugiej dekady XXI wieku -

120
The War in Ukraine and Polish Security as Perceived…
          
-
tive attitude on the part of some politicians, as well as demonstrating the inabil-
ity of state institutions to protect and defend citizens, and looking for enemies


Public perception of security issues
-
fence strength as a sovereign and democratic nation-state, and as a member of


1989) the power of organised patriotism.


collapse of the Republic, (…) the pathological overgrowth of individualism that
does not allow an individual or a group united by a common interest to submit

of state power’.

to maintain a widespread feeling of love for the fatherland and the need for sacri-

the issues of youth and its upbringing in the spirit of our traditional values’.
It is
becoming a subject of politics, and the neutralisation of threats, the strengthening
of the condition of security structures and the management of potential risks are
indispensable actions, being the result of resistance to unfavourable changes in
international relations.
Security, like any concept with a very broad scope, is an
ambiguous concept and can be considered from various aspects.
In the objective aspect, security is the overall actions of other actors in soci-
ety that are disadvantageous and dangerous for the subject in question, or in the
4

 Edukacja patriotyczna młodzieży. Szkoła Rycerska, Korpusy Kadetów,
Ogólnokształcące Licea Wojskowe, Klasy mundurowe
6
 Polska wczoraj, dziś i jutro
7
Ibidem.
8
Współczesne pojmowanie bezpieczeństwa
9
Zarządzanie i bezpieczeństwo w administra-
cji publicznej. Wybrane zagadnienia
121
Dawid Czarnecki
subjective aspect, i.e. the state of the psyche, awareness, assessment of threats
and actions. The social perception of security is therefore based on knowledge
shaped by mass media, election campaigns, public opinion and public debate. In
the social debate on security alternative realities are constructed and, in terms of

They condition the political actions taken: they legitimise their legitimacy, de-
cide on the allocation of resources for them and create pressure on those in pow-
er to solve the problem. Finally, empowered with the ability to make political

decide to join an international structure, dismiss those in power because of un-
favourable security policies and sometimes create international or supranational
bodies.


of state security as a result of the escalation of the war in Ukraine is an important
and potentially fertile direction of analysis of the state of security of local com-
munities. It causes the authorities to focus on exploring the research process by

broadens the research perspective, increasing the formulation of new problems
in the study of local community opinion.
Research ndings

-
ties, causing a period of great uncertainty and lowering the sense of security of
those fearing for their future. The questions posed to respondents were intended
to bring out their opinions on the Russian-Ukrainian war. Respondents respond-
ed to statements selected by the author of the study regarding the war in Ukraine:
their own fears, the reception of refugees in the local community, the presenta-

citizens’ security through the actions of the state authorities and forms of as-
sistance for Ukrainian citizens. Below is the structure of the sample of people
who took part in the study.
10
 Wybrane problemy bezpieczeństwa państw, narodów oraz społeczności lokal-
nych na początku XXI wieku,  
122
The War in Ukraine and Polish Security as Perceived…
Table 1. Structure of the study sample
Variable
The percentage
of respondents
Gender structure
  
Men  
The structure of education
Higher  
Secondary 69 
Vocational  
 
Age structure
 20 
 48 
  
 44 
  
Source: own elaboration based on conducted survey.
-








Does the war in Ukraine threaten Poland’s security?
Answer
 Men
  
Rather yes  
Rather not threatening  
  
Source: own elaboration based on conducted survey.
 


Dawid Czarnecki


         
       -
-
creasing, both among women and men. The analysis also reveals the mentality of
the community receiving refugees and their concerns, which could be the basis
for indicating to the legislature and society at large what legal steps should be
taken and whether the needs of refugees have been taken into account, which will

Figure 2. Do you support the acceptance of refugees from Ukraine?
Do you support the acceptance of refugees from Ukraine?
Answer
 Men
  
Rather yes  
Rather not threatening  
  
Source: own elaboration based on conducted survey.





-


more the feeling of security in our society.

Is there a risk of a military attack by Russia on NATO countries?
Answer
 Men
  
Rather yes  
Rather not threatening  
  
Source: own elaboration based on conducted survey.
124
The War in Ukraine and Polish Security as Perceived…
-
-

  



-




-


How to increase Poland’s security?
Answer
 Men
Membership in Euro-Atlantic

 
Membership in European
Union structures
 
Increase in army personnel and
reserve system
 
Creation of a citizen protection
strategy
 
Universal defence  
Development of the national
security industry potential
 
Cyber warfare  
Source: own elaboration based on conducted survey.

-
-





Dawid Czarnecki
deal of interest and public support among those surveyed, clearly showing a de-
sire to ensure the security of citizens.

Do you support the government programme “Shield East”?
Answer
 Men
  
Rather yes  
Rather no  
  
Source: own elaboration based on conducted survey.
        -

-
-
-


support, which allows for translation into the immediate military situation in
Ukraine and an increased sense of security among Ukrainian citizens.

What support does Ukraine expect from other countries in the face of the war with
Russia?
Answer
 Men
Increase in military equipment
supplies
 
Financial support  
Integration of the defence

EU security and defence
structures
 

assistance
 
Source: own elaboration based on conducted survey.
From the analysis of our own research, we observe a decrease in optimism
-
though a large percentage of respondents assume a positive scenario for Ukraine,
126
The War in Ukraine and Polish Security as Perceived…
           -

             



    

of men).
Fig. 7. How will the war in Ukraine come to an end?
How will the war in Ukraine come to an end?
Answer
 Men
Russia will subordinate all of
Ukraine
 
Ukraine will have to relinquish
part of its territory
 
Russia will withdraw from the
attacked territories of Ukraine
 
Ukraine will prevail in the war  
  
Source: own elaboration based on conducted survey.
Analysis of the results
The aggression against Ukraine has consequences in various areas of social
life and impacts society in multiple ways. The majority of the surveyed local
community remains convinced that the war in Ukraine threatens our security.
There is a prevailing belief that the actions of Ukraine’s allies, the USA and the
         


Atlantic Treaty Organization, as well as the deployment of a greater number of

countries, provides guarantees for the security of our state.
The results of research conducted during the Russian-Ukrainian war most
often reveal a dominance of positive or, at least, ambivalent assessments of
127
Dawid Czarnecki
         -
grants from Ukraine. Still, the majority of surveyed women and men also support
-
cant percentage of individuals critical of providing more assistance to refugees,
-
cy and the lack of trust in the declarations of Russian authorities evidently appear
to be existing attitudes within society rather than merely fanciful imaginations
resulting from media speculation. It is essential to have the belief among the lo-



society places great hopes in alliance membership. According to the majority

its allies to the potential defence of our territory. Respondents also believe that
the main way to assist Ukraine in the face of war with Russia is by increasing

with the trends of European societies as well as Ukrainian authorities. Financing
military equipment in Ukraine contributes to an increase in their sense of secu-
  

community expressed satisfaction with the actions of the authorities regarding

actions, considering them too petty and accusing them of yielding to pressure

at our border has shattered the foundations of the community’s sense of security
in our country. The illusion of a safe world has come to an end and we are living
witnesses to this unfolding story. It is also worth adding that in a democratic

defending oneself.
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     Zarządzanie i bezpieczeństwo w admi-
nistracji publicznej. Wybrane zagadnienia
128
The War in Ukraine and Polish Security as Perceived…
Edukacja patriotyczna młodzieży. Szkoła Rycerska, Korpusy Kadetów,
Ogólnokształcące Licea Wojskowe, Klasy mundurowe
 Wybrane problemy bezpieczeństwa państw, narodów oraz społeczności lo-
kalnych na początku XXI wieku,  
 Bezpieczeństwo Polski w świetle działań wojennych Rosji na Ukrainie,
“
.
Polska wczoraj, dziś i jutro
Współczesne pojmowanie bezpieczeństwa
Stolarczyk M., Dylematy bezpieczeństwa Polski w kontekście kryzysu i koniktu ukraiń-
skiego w latach 2013- 2014Dylematy polityki bez-
pieczeństwa Polski na początku drugiej dekady XXI wieku-

Summary
Russian ambitions and inherent imperialism towards Central and Eastern Europe re-
main unchanged, characterised by the destabilisation of the region and the weakening


commitment to Ukraine are indisputable. It is important to remember that in addition
to having allied security guarantees, possessing one’s own defence capabilities is essen-

One can also invoke issues related to the mobilisation and integration of the societies of
the European Union member states in the face of Russian aggression against Ukraine.


can be observed, albeit it is minimal. The general trend of acceptance for providing mil-
itary and humanitarian support for Ukraine remains relatively high. It is also worth add-
ing that despite the declared concerns regarding maintenance costs, the idea of defending




community in multiple ways. The author would like to focus attention on three of them.


The third is concerns about security, evidenced by, among other things, the fear of armed
129
Dawid Czarnecki
          

moderately optimistic. There is a noticeable trend regarding the level of perceived fears
 
countries, as well as the use of nuclear weapons by Russia. Approval for forcing a par-
tial capitulation of Ukraine in exchange for a coerced peace is a short-term gain that, in
the longer-term perspective, may lead to the entirety of Europe becoming dependent on
Russia and necessitating submission to its will in energy policy, political life and military
preparedness. Russian leaders undoubtedly counted on and continue to count on such



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