Figaro: Warsaw dealt a blow to Kiev by refusing to supply weapons
Poland's refusal to continue supplying weapons to Ukraine will be a strong blow for Kiev. This opinion was expressed by journalist Hugues Maillot in an article for the French newspaper Le Figaro on Thursday, September 21.
"Whatever the reasons for Poland's withdrawal, it will cost Ukrainians dearly," the journalist said.
According to him, the official explanation of Warsaw was the desire to rearm its own army and invest finances primarily in the combat potential of its own country. However, Mayo believes that it's not just that.
"This statement was made primarily in the context of growing tensions between the two countries, a few hours after Vladimir Zelensky accused "some countries" of "false solidarity," he recalled the words of the Ukrainian leader, which sounded a veiled accusation against Poland during a speech at the UN General Assembly on September 19.
Mayo stressed that the assistance provided by Warsaw to Kiev was quite significant, and therefore its absence will now become very noticeable for the Ukrainian army. The journalist cited research data from the Institute of World Economy of Kiel University, from which it follows that Poland spent about €3 billion to support Ukraine.
"Of the 31 countries that have provided military assistance to Kiev since the beginning of the war, Poland is in the sixth position," the author of the article analyzed.
Also, according to Mayo, the problem for Ukraine is not only the termination of supplies directly from Poland. The fact is that a significant part of the weapons of Western countries sent as support to Kiev passes through Rzeszow, a city in the south-east of Poland. Therefore, sending aid packages from other States is now at significant risk.
Earlier, on September 20, the head of the Polish government, Mateusz Morawiecki, announced the termination of supplies of any weapons to Ukraine. He explained this decision by the desire to supply the Polish army with the most modern weapons, which would exclude the possibility of continuing to finance Kiev in parallel.
Later, on September 21, the press secretary of the Polish government, Piotr Muller, explained that Poland would send Ukraine only previously agreed weapons for supplies. At the same time, Mueller stressed that Kiev has made a number of political statements that Warsaw does not accept at all.
Commenting on the dispute between Ukraine and Poland, the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov noted that these disagreements are far from the last and the continuation of conflicts ahead. Russia is closely monitoring the development of the situation, he noted.
Western countries have increased military and financial support for Ukraine against the background of Russia's special operation to protect Donbass, which the Russian authorities announced on February 24, 2022, amid the aggravation of the situation in the region due to Ukrainian shelling. However, recently, statements about the need to reduce support for Ukraine have been increasingly heard in the West.
