Poland qualifies the cessation of arms supplies to Ukraine: it will comply with the delivery of those already committed

Poland will not supply more weapons to Ukraine than “those already agreed”. The quotation marks are the precision of the Polish Government spokesman, Piotr Müller, to the explosive statements of the Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, in which he announced that his country would no longer supply weapons to Ukraine in order to rearm itself.

“In relation to questions about arms deliveries, I would like to inform you that Poland only carries out previously agreed deliveries of ammunition and weapons. Including those derived from contracts signed with Ukraine,” declared Müller, without specifying until when these contracts extend.. He did speak out about the “absolutely unacceptable diplomatic statements and gestures on the Ukrainian side.”

The spokesperson was referring to the accusations made by the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, before the UN General Assembly, accusing some European countries of “false solidarity” and of playing into Russia's hands.. The Ukrainian president expressed himself in this way about the decision of Poland and other countries in the region to maintain the ban on Ukrainian grain, against the opinion of the European Commission.

Ukraine has put the matter in the hands of the World Trade Organization (WTO), which Poland considers a lack of solidarity with a country that has been especially supportive since the war began.. In the verbal escalation that has occurred these days, Morawiecki is willing to defend Polish farmers until the end, especially just one month before the general elections. What's more, Polish President Andrzej Duda compared Zelensky at the UN to someone who is drowning and tries to save himself by dragging others to the bottom.

The question of weapons

Hours before the spokesman's “qualification” about weapons, Morawiecki had declared in an interview: “We no longer supply weapons to Ukraine, but rather we are equipping ourselves with the most modern weapons.”

Morawiecki went on to say that Poland has greatly increased its arms orders.. “If you do not want to defend yourself, you must have something to defend yourself with: this is the rule we profess”. “The armed forces must be modernized so that Poland has one of the strongest land armies in Europe,” he said.

The Prime Minister's statements sparked alarm, although, at another point in the interview, Morawiecki stressed that the Warsaw Government will not endanger the security of Ukraine under any circumstances.. “Our center in Rzeszow, in agreement with the Americans and NATO, will continue to play the same role as before and also in the future,” he assured.. Much of the Western military aid to Ukraine passes through the city of Rzeszow, in southeastern Poland, in its defensive fight against the aggressor Russia.

Rzeszów-Jasionka airport is strategic for Poland and NATO as a whole after the outbreak of war in Ukraine. In recent months, it has hosted some of the world's largest transport aircraft. Among them, the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, up to 75.5 meters long, the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, somewhat smaller but also crucial for the US military, and the largest aircraft in the world, the An-225. Mriya, 84 meters long and 18 meters high. The latter was later destroyed at Hostomel airport by the Russians.

The prime minister added that he had visited the Ucznik arms factory in Radom. “Weapons production is also in full swing there. Likewise in Stalowa Wola, at the Bumar Abdy Mechanical Factory, mainly focused on the modernization and rapid arming of the Polish army so that it becomes one of the strongest armies in Europe. And this in a very short time,” he explained.

Polish support for Ukraine has repeatedly been described as invaluable. Both experts and Ukrainian soldiers themselves have praised many of the weapons produced in Poland. The AHS Krabi cannon howitzers have become a success of Polish arms. They use 155 mm caliber projectiles and are capable of firing at distances of up to approximately 37 km.. Thanks to their great precision, they have made it possible to eliminate many Russian positions. The Ukrainian ambassador to Poland stated in a recent interview that “Krab cannon howitzers have changed the situation on the front.”

The list of Polish military equipment delivered to Ukraine also includes Rosomak wheeled armored personnel carriers, PT-91 Twardy tanks, Piorun anti-aircraft missile sets, Warmate cruise ammunition, Grot carbines or FlyEye unmanned aerial reconnaissance vehicles.

Poland, a country of the EU and NATO, is not only one of the main political and military supporters of Ukraine. It has also hosted a large number of war refugees from the neighboring country since the Russian war of aggression began in February 2022.. The export of Ukrainian grain, however, has put limits on that solidarity.

Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine has blocked the classic export route for Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, forcing the opening of new ones through the countries of Eastern Europe.. This has created tensions in local markets, since the grain supposedly destined for third countries stays in transit countries, generating strong alterations in the markets.. The EU imposed trade restrictions on Ukraine to protect local farmers, but the European Commission believes they should be lifted, opposed by Poland and its neighbors.. Ukraine has filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization against Poland, Hungary and Slovakia.

The Ukrainian-Polish clash of these days also has a geopolitical dimension. Germany's growing involvement in sending weapons to Ukraine has offered Kiev a succulent alternative to the regional alliance with Poland on which it was forced to opt when only Warsaw, the Baltic countries and the United Kingdom reacted to Ukrainian emergencies.. Ukraine has in recent months moved closer to the country that the current conservative Polish government sees as Poland's natural adversary, which is perceived as little less than a betrayal in Polish pro-government circles.

Shortly after accusing Poland of favoring Russia, Zelensky asked at UN headquarters for Germany to be included in the organization's Security Council.. Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak has described the proposal as “quite strange”. “President Zelensky seems not to remember that Germany did not help Ukraine after the Russian aggression,” said Blaszczak, who described Kiev's policy in this regard as a “great disappointment” for Poland.

Military expert Carlo Masala, a professor at the Bundeswehr University in Munich, believes that the Polish decision regarding the arms shipment “could reinforce Putin's belief that his strategy of buying time is working to erode Ukraine's support in the United States and Europe”.

Regarding the possible reasons for Poland's decision, beyond the problematic relationship resulting from grain exports to the EU, Masala points out internal political reasons: “Poland is in the middle of an electoral campaign.. And the ruling PiS party is under pressure over the scandal of work visas granted through bribes by Polish consulates and embassies in Africa and Asia.. There is talk of between 350,000 and 600,000 illegal entries into Poland and, from this country, to the EU and the Schengen area.