Poland and Ukraine’s relationship has taken a dramatic shift as the once seemingly concrete support, which saw the Poles send tons of ammunition, and thousands of weapons and house millions of Ukrainian refugees, appears to be eroding.
This week a long bubbling row of cheap Ukrainian grain flooding the Polish markets escalated with Poland’s Prime Minister intervening dramatically.
In a speech, Mateusz Morawiecki declared that weapons transfers would no longer be sent to Ukraine. However, the country’s President came out later to suggest the remarks had been misinterpreted and that only new weapons would be held back while old stockpiles would continue to be handed over.
Poland’s own military arsenals are reported to have reduced by a third as a result of the generous shipment of arms to Ukraine.
Warsaw is looking to use the opportunity to upgrade the country’s military with Western NATO standard equipment.
Ukraine meanwhile faces losing the support of a staunch ally should Kyiv not manage to patch up relations with Warsaw.
Poland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Zbigniew Rau said in a statement on Thursday September 21: “Our government’s help to Ukraine and Ukrainians was possible thanks to the understanding, compassion and sympathy for Ukraine of almost every Polish family.
“Therefore, Ukraine‘s current policy is not only harmful and painful to us, but above all offensive. It is difficult to assume that it will be forgotten quickly. That is why it is harmful to Ukraine. Together we are losing a lot from it.
“We believe in Ukraine‘s victory. We will not stand aside. But we will not allow our relations with Poland to be traded in the name of private fortunes and foreign interests hostile to Poland and Ukraine. Titanic work will be necessary to rebuild the trust of Polish society in the good will of the Ukrainian authorities.”
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