Speaking after talks with Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok during celebrations marking Polish-Hungarian Friendship Day, Nawrocki said the long-standing ties between the two nations should rise above short-term political tensions.
"The friendship between our nations has endured and will endure," Nawrocki said. "But as in any friendship, there are things we do not agree on."
He told a news conference that Poland views Russia and Putin as a major threat.
"For Poland, Vladimir Putin and the Russian Federation are an existential threat," Nawrocki said.
"Poles love Hungarians, but they hate Vladimir Putin, who is a war criminal and nothing more," he added.
Nawrocki told reporters that while Poland and Hungary share common ground on some issues within the European Union—including opposition to certain climate, migration and trade policies—they differ on others, "particularly regarding Russia."
Hungary, an EU and NATO member led by Prime Minister Viktor Orban, has maintained close ties with Moscow despite Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
The Polish and Hungarian presidents met in the southeastern Polish city of Przemyśl on Monday for annual celebrations of friendship between the two nations, held alternately in each country.
Later in the day, Nawrocki was expected to travel to Budapest for further talks with Sulyok and Orban.
The visit comes ahead of Hungary’s parliamentary elections scheduled for April 12, where Orban faces a strong challenge from opposition leader Peter Magyar.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has criticized Nawrocki's trip, saying that "participation in the Budapest meeting of pro-Russian and Eurosceptic politicians is a disastrous mistake and confirmation of a dangerous strategy" by Orban's Hungary "of weakening the European Union and strengthening Putin."
The president’s office defended the visit, saying it is aimed at advancing Poland’s national interests and strengthening bilateral ties.
Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski on Monday disputed that argument, saying he did not understand the purpose of Nawrocki meeting Orban, whom he described as "the most corrupt and most pro-Russian politician in Europe."
He also accused Hungary of blocking key Polish priorities within the European Union, including funds for Poland for its support of Ukraine, new sanctions on Russia and financial assistance for Kyiv.
"These are all fundamental issues," Sikorski said.
Source: IAR, PAP