Once-close ties between Poland and Ukraine have plunged in the run-up to Sunday's Polish elections, experts said, much to the dismay of the United States and European Union.

While the memory of Poland taking in millions of Ukrainian refugees following Russia's invasion will live on, bilateral ties have become distinctly chilly.

"Polish-Ukrainian relations are deteriorating, largely because of the (election) campaign," said Marcin Zaborowski, an expert at the Globsec think tank.