Support for Ukraine protects Poland from Russian tanks, says Foreign Ministry
“We don’t want Russian tanks on our border,” explained Maciej Wewiór, spokesman for the Polish Foreign Ministry, commenting on discussions around support for Ukraine’s defence.
Headquarters of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Warsaw.Image courtesy of the MFA
On Friday, 21 November, Wewiór used social media to stress that Poland’s assistance to Kyiv is essential to preventing Russian forces from reaching the country’s borders.
His remarks came a day after Poland announced it would provide USD 100 million in US-made weapons to Ukraine under NATO’s Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) programme.
The funds, drawn from the Foreign Ministry budget, are to be transferred before the end of the year to meet Ukraine’s defence needs.
The spokesman described the policy as necessary “for as long as Russia attacks,” adding that those who oppose such support either fail to understand the situation or act against Poland’s national interest.
“The issue of supporting a defending Ukraine is simple. How long? As long as Russia attacks. Why? Because we do not want Russian tanks on our border. Those opposing support either do not understand this or are acting against Poland’s interests. It’s really that straightforward,” he wrote.
In the same statement, Wewiór also addressed earlier questions about when Poland might stop supplying arms to Ukraine.
According to the spokesman, the answer is “very simple”: assistance will end once Russia ceases its aggression.
Following criticism from far-right politicians, including Sławomir Mentzen, who questioned whether Poland can afford continued support for Kyiv, Deputy Prime Minister and foreign affairs chief Radosław Sikorski also intervened, clarifying that the USD 100 million pledged for Ukraine comes from a NATO-managed fund used to purchase American weapons for Kyiv.
The head of Polish diplomacy pushed back on Mentzen’s remarks, suggesting that anyone opposing aid should be clear about whether their stance effectively supports allowing Russian tanks to reach Poland’s border.
(mp)
Source: MSZ/X/@RzecznikMSZ/@sikorskiradek
Radio Poland
