Polish President Andrzej Duda assured this Monday that his country’s military support to Ukraine does not include newly acquired weapons, explaining that they will only serve to modernize his country’s Armed Forces.
“We are not going to spend billions on weapons and then offer them,” the Polish head of state said, referring to rumors that the new weapons systems acquired by Poland were intended to help Ukraine resist a Russian invasion.
“Sending (to Ukraine) any new equipment that we are acquiring at the moment, such as a K2 howitzer launcher or K9 tanks, is out of the question. This equipment should serve to strengthen the Polish army,” Duda assured in an interview with the Polish newspaper newspaper Super Express.
“When old equipment is replaced with modern equipment, I have no problem sending it to Ukrainians,” added the President, who expressed regret over criticism from some segments of the population about this decision.
Duda was also upset by criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last week during a debate at the UN General Assembly, who reprimanded his allies for the unilateral measures they introduced to ban imports of Ukrainian grains.
“In Poland, many people felt offended. Poles, both government officials and ordinary people, sacrificed a lot to help Ukraine. Many even risked their lives,” the Polish president recalled.
“I’ll try to explain this with emotions. Let’s not forget that Zelensky is under enormous pressure. He sends people to the front, often to death. There are people who die in battle every day,” Duda concluded.