Polish president vetoes law on social payments, free healthcare for unemployed Ukrainian citizens - media

Polish President Karol has vetoed a law that would have provided social benefits and free medical care for unemployed Ukrainian citizens, the Polish publication Interia Wydarzenia has reported.

"President Karol Nawrocki has vetoed a bill on assistance to Ukrainians. "I firmly believe that the 800+ assistance should be available only to those Ukrainians who make an effort to work in Poland. The same applies to healthcare," the publication quotes Nawrocki as saying.

"I believe that we must achieve some form of social justice here. Poles in their own country should be put at least on an equal footing with our guests from Ukraine. This is fundamental for me, so I did not sign the law on assistance to citizens of Ukraine in this form," Nawrocki added.

He proposed his version of the bill, which would include "new solutions for granting citizenship." "I believe that the process of granting citizenship should be extended from three to 10 years, and such a proposal will be included in this bill," he announced.

Another point proposed by Nawrocki concerns the strengthening of penalties for illegal border crossing.