"Everyone would rather have a neighbour they can trade with, disagree with and talk to than an aggressor they have to prepare to defend themselves against," Polish foreign ministry spokesman Maciej Wewiór wrote on X.
"Instead of once again looking for someone to blame in Warsaw, perhaps it's time to take a look at Moscow, Ms. Zakharova," he added.
Wewiór was responding to comments by Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova focusing on remarks Nawrocki made on Thursday about Poland's support for Ukraine in its war against Russia.
Nawrocki said Poland's interest was for Ukraine and its armed forces to deal with Russia as effectively as possible and keep Russian forces as far from Poland as possible.
"Let them kill the Soviets who invaded them," Nawrocki said. "It doesn't bother us, Poles, in the least ... In this sense, they can always count on our help because where they fight the Muscovite, Poland helps."
Zakharova criticised Nawrocki's statement, saying it showed that Nawrocki was using "the language of hatred," Polish state news agency PAP reported.
She added that Poland and Russia share a direct border and accused Nawrocki and Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski of destroying what she described as "mutually beneficial cooperation" between the two countries.
She referred to what she called "the historical complexes and impotent anger" of Poland's political leadership.
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. Photo: Council.gov.ru, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
In response, Wewiór highlighted differences between Poland and Russia, saying Russia is 55 times larger than Poland and has four times the population, while Poland has a higher GDP per capita.
"Russia has 55 times more territory than Poland, vast natural resources and a population four times larger," Wewiór wrote. "Yet Poland is one of Europe’s fastest-growing economies, with GDP per capita twice as high as Russia's."
He also cited Poland’s road infrastructure and lower homicide rate, saying Poland has "more than twice as many motorways and expressways, while our murder rate is almost 10 times lower."
Wewiór contrasted Poland's social policies with Russia’s treatment of military personnel, saying that while Poland supports families through child benefits, child-care subsidies and parental leave, Russia’s social policy is increasingly based on soldiers' pay and compensation for the families of those killed in the war against Ukraine.
"While we support families through the 800+ programme, childcare benefits and parental leave, in Russia, soldiers' salaries and payments to families of fallen soldiers are becoming a key part of social policy," Wewiór wrote.
"We don't send our soldiers to the front, where the average life expectancy is said to be around 30 minutes," he said. "And our politicians can argue with each other even while standing next to open windows … That’s democracy."
He accused Russia of threatening and attacking its neighbours "both through military force and hybrid means."