Poland will become a facilities for branches that will be in Ukraine; It will organize logistics and share airports for aircraft – he told PAP after a meeting of defense ministers in Copenhagen, the deputy head of the Ministry of National Defense Paweł Zalewski. Without what Poland offers, there will be no security guarantees – he added.
On Friday, the ministers of defense of EU countries discussed security guarantees that their countries can grant Ukraine to maintain a ceasefire or peace.
Zalewski, reporting the position of Poland, emphasized that Poland sticks to the fact that he would not send troops to Ukraine and would not participate in land operation. “Nobody expects it today,” he added. The deputy minister emphasized that the threat on the border with Russia and Belarus is so large that Poland's task is to ensure the security of Europe on that episode. – Therefore, we cannot weaken our forces by sending them to Ukraine. Everyone understands that – he noted.
However – as the deputy head of the Ministry of National Defense said – guarantees prepared as part of the coalition of volunteers assume the presence of European troops in Ukraine and the operation of protecting the Ukrainian sky, which will be possible after the end of Russian -Ukrainian fights.
– Poland in this operation will play a key role because it will create opportunities for creating bases, facilities for those troops that will be in Ukraine, and will organize logistics for these troops, as well as provide airports for aircraft that will protect the Ukrainian sky from Poland – he noted.
– Without what Poland offers, there will be no security guaranteesso the Polish offer is an absolute key for security guarantees can be implemented – emphasized Zalewski.
The deputy head of the Ministry of National Defense said he was satisfied with the debate among the EU defense ministers with security guarantees. – She showed that all countries from Portugal to Finland and Romania think similarly when it comes to what needs to be done to exert pressure on Russia, to make a truce and what to do after this truce contains – he emphasized.
He also noted that the suspension of weapons and then achieving peace are the most important, because the most urgent. He added, however, that it should not be expected that this will happen quickly, which is why the West should increase pressure on Russia through sanctions.
– The vast majority of my colleagues' statements assumed the need for sanctions. There was also the awareness that the Russian economy, although having much greater resources than Ukrainian and ready to endure war hardships much more than European economies, but has its limitations and that everything that is happening goes towards exhaustion of these resources – said Zalewski. – Everyone also agreed that the Russian threat would last, regardless of whether a truce was concluded in Ukraine – he added.
Zalewski also referred to the idea forced by the head of EU diplomacy Kaja Kallas, which he assumes – as he emphasized – organizing EU training missions in Ukraine “in terms of security guarantee after the end of hostilities.”
As he said, Poland will not oppose this idea. – However, we will not conduct training in Ukraine, we will run them in Poland – he said.
On Friday, the defense ministers also pointed to the areas in which their countries want to specialize as part of “backfilling” gaps in Europe's defense abilities. On this basis, the European Commission will develop a road map, which will be implemented through investments financed, among others from the Safe defense loan program.
Zalewski told PAP that out of nine areas, Poland reported readiness in four: the ability to protect borders, drones and counterparts, air defense and ground struggle systems.
Merz: The war may still last
The war in Ukraine can last for many months – said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday in France. He emphasized that Kiev's allies are “ready” to continue helping Ukrainians.
“This war can last for many months. We should definitely prepare for it. We are ready,” said Merz. He added that “maintaining coalition of volunteers” is a priority for Germany and France.
On Thursday, Merz, who was visiting in France, said that “it is obvious” that the President of Ukraine Wołodymyr Zelanski and Russian leader Vladimir Putin would not meet. (PAP)
