POLAND has announced an end to its arms transfers to Ukraine, a day after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Warsaw of playing into the hands of Russia by banning Kyiv’s grain imports.
Meanwhile, Polish Prime Minister, Mateoosz Moravietskee, said Warsaw had decided to prioritize its own defense in the future, thus, they will no longer transfer weapons to Ukraine.
“We are no longer transferring weapons to Ukraine because we are now arming Poland with more modern weapons,” according to Mateusz Morawiecki, Prime Minister of Poland.
Polish government spokesperson Pioter Müller on Thursday clarified that Poland is only carrying out previously agreed supplies of ammunition and armaments.
Warsaw is one of the main weapons suppliers of Kyiv however, ties have soured over the recent weeks amid the growing dispute over grain.
Moravietzskee also warned that Poland could impose additional trade bans on Ukraine given that the Ukrainian authorities do not understand the degree to which Poland’s farming industry has been destabilized by foreign imports.
The remarks came after Zelenskyy appeared to make a jab at Poland during his speech at the 75th UN General Assembly earlier this week.
Zelenskyy said some countries in Europe play out solidarity in a political theater and are a thriller for the grain.
Poland’s Duda compares Ukraine to ‘drowning’ man
To recall, Polish President Andrzej Duda compared Ukraine to a drowning man and called on Kyiv to remember Warsaw’s support during the ongoing conflict.
“It would be good if Ukraine remembers that it receives help from us and also to remember that we are a transit country into Ukraine.”
“After all, the proverb says: a drowning man will clutch at a straw. Indeed, a drowning person grasps at everything he can. It’s a bit like the situation between Poland and Ukraine today.”
“Ukraine is under Russian attack, it is undoubtedly in a very difficult situation, it is grasping at everything it can. Can you blame it for that? Well, of course, you can complain about it,” Andrzej Duda, President of Poland said.
The Polish president said he understood that there are business groups with interest in Ukraine who are aiming to sell grain quickly but with minimal expense.
Poland is set to hold its parliamentary elections in October, and its ruling government, which has strong support in agricultural regions, said the ban aims to protect local farmers from a potential influx of cheaper products.
The European Union previously backed restrictions to protect five countries bordering Ukraine but lifted those last week.
The said countries were Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary.
However, Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia reimposed their own unilateral bans due to cheaper Ukrainian grain pouring out into central and European markets, tanking prices and causing problems for their local producers.
Meanwhile, Ukraine said it would hold talks with Poland in the coming days.
