Polish Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, strongly urged Volodymyr Zelensky not to "offend the Polish people once more" following allegations made by the Ukrainian President about Poland's handling of grain exports. In response to Zelensky's veiled criticism of Poland during his speech at the United Nations general assembly, the Polish leader retaliated by stating that the dispute was merely "political drama" and accused "certain European allies" of sensationalizing the issue related to grain exports.
On Friday, at a rally in Swidnik, Poland, Morawiecki hit back.
"I want to tell President Zelensky never to insult Poles again, as he did recently during his speech at the UN," he said.
The Polish prime minister emphasized that the people of Poland will never tolerate such occurrences, stating that safeguarding Poland's reputation is not only his responsibility and privilege but also the top priority of the Polish government. However, Morawiecki's remarks run the risk of exacerbating the rift between the two nations that were once strong allies, standing together against Russia's aggression in Ukraine.
In recent weeks, tensions have escalated between them due to a ban on Ukrainian grain. Initially implemented earlier this year by several EU nations, the ban aimed to safeguard the local farmers' livelihoods who were concerned about the competitive prices of Ukrainian grain. While the EU recently declared its intention to suspend the ban, Poland, along with Hungary and Slovakia, remained committed to it. This decision sparked protests from Ukraine, leading to the country filing lawsuits against the three nations. Subsequently, Zelensky made comments at the UN addressing this issue.
Poland swiftly denounced Zelensky's remarks at the UN, leading its foreign ministry to summon the Ukrainian ambassador to express a vehement objection. Shortly thereafter, the Polish prime minister issued a straightforward statement on social media, declaring that the country would cease supplying weapons to Ukraine as it prioritized strengthening its own armed forces.
This appeared to signal a notable shift in policy, considering Poland's previous commitment to providing weapons and resources to Ukraine.
Polish President Andrzej Duda attempted to clarify his prime minister's remarks, stating that they were misinterpreted. According to Duda, Prime Minister Morawiecki was simply discussing the purchase of new weapons for the Polish army and suggesting that older weapons, which are deemed unnecessary for modernization, could still be exported.
Poland has been a strong ally of Ukraine for a long time, along with several other former Eastern bloc countries that are concerned about the possibility of facing Russian President Vladimir Putin's expansionist agenda if it succeeds.
Poland took the initiative to send fighter jets across the border months before the United States. The US recently approved the transfer of F-16s, but it was conditional on the Ukrainian forces completing their training.
It has also supplied Ukraine with over 200 tanks of Soviet design.
According to the United Nations, the majority of Western military equipment and other provisions are transported to Ukraine via Poland. Additionally, Poland is accommodating 1.6 million Ukrainian refugees.
Poland has committed a total of 4.27 billion euros (approximately $4.54 billion) to Ukraine, as per the Kiel Institute's tracker. This assistance includes military support, financial aid, and humanitarian assistance.
