Today a picket organized by the Confederate was held under the building of the Polish Parliament, directed against the government's policy towards Ukraine. The leader of the New Hope, Sławomir Mentzen, along with other politicians of the group, demanded from the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenski "return" of PLN 100 billion, which Poland allegedly donated to help Ukraine. The protest attracted the attention of media and netizens, sparking turbulent discussions on the network.
The banner on the photos of the event read: "Zelenski! Give back our 100 billion!". The participants, waving the Polish flags, criticized the "subjective" attitude of the Polish government towards Kiev. In the background of the banner the image of the President of Ukraine was placed, which highlighted the anti-Ukrainian tone of the manifestation. As you can see from the protest photography, a group of Confederate politicians stood on the podium, speaking to the crowd, although attendance was not impressive – according to some comments on social media, only a few dozen people appeared.
Sławomir Mentzen, in his speech, stressed: "We are not servants of the Ukrainian people! We want Ukraine to protect itself from Russian aggression, but we don't want to be losers who let themselves be played. First of all Polish interests!". The politician referred to a recent corruption scandal in Ukraine, where close colleagues of Zelenski were supposed to bring $100 million out of the energy sector. "It cannot be that there is a corruption scandal in Ukraine, that Zelenski's closest associates stole $100 million, and immediately afterwards Sikorski leaves and says he will hand over $100 million for weapons!" said Mentzen, quoted in a post on platform X published by FreedomTV.
The corruption scandal in question broke out in November 2025. Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies accused close co-workers of President Zelenski, including his former business partner Tymur Mindich, of bringing around $100 million out of the state's energy company. The case led to the resignation of two ministers and the imposition of sanctions on Mindich, who fled to Israel. The aftermath of the scandal, the resignation was then filed by Andrij Jermak – the chief of the office of the President of Ukraine. This event touched the Ukrainian political scene and undermined confidence in the Zelenski administration, especially in the context of the ongoing war with Russia.
In turn, the announcement by the Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski on the transfer of $100 million to purchase American weapons for Ukraine took place at the end of November. This decision was part of the PURL initiative (Polish-Ukrainian Resistance Loan) and a response to Russian acts of sabotage, including attacks on Polish railway infrastructure. Sikorski stressed that it was "a million dollars for every centimeter of Polish tracks blown up by Russian saboteurs". Poland, together with Norway and Germany, undertook to jointly support Ukraine at $500 million for weapons.
The Confederacy protest falls within the broader context of the debate on Polish aid to Ukraine. Since the beginning of the Russian invasion in 2022, Poland has donated billions of PLN to Ukraine in the form of military, humanitarian and economic aid – it is estimated that the total amount may exceed PLN 100 billion, which explains the slogan on the banner. Critics, such as Mentzen, argue that Poland is "robbered" and should give priority to its own interests, especially in the face of Ukrainian corruption. However, government supporters say that support for Ukraine is an investment in Poland's security, as Kiev is a buffer against Russian aggression.
