After an increase in tensions with Ukraine, the Polish president wanted to calm things down. Andrzej Duda assured Thursday, September 21 that the declaration of his Prime Minister the day before had been misinterpreted: Mateusz Morawiecki had announced that Warsaw would not send more arms to its Ukrainian neighbor and ally, particularly after harsh criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Warsaw’s desire to maintain an embargo on Ukrainian grain.
2 mins
With our correspondent in Warsaw, Martin Chabal
Polish President Andrzej Duda pulled out the fire extinguisher. The two allies, who seemed to be the best of friends a few months ago, were at loggerheads on Wednesday. The words of the Polish Prime Minister “ were interpreted in the worst way possible ”, according to Andrzej Duda.
“ In my opinion, the Prime Minister simply said that we will not give Ukraine the new weapons that we are currently purchasing to modernize our army“, he said during an interview with the television channel TVN24.
This is because Poland has been spending billions for more than a year to replace the post-Soviet equipment it sent to Ukraine at the start of the war.
The Polish president nevertheless returned to Volodymyr Zelensky’s remarks before the United Nations General Assembly: “ He didn’t mention Poland, but of course he said it between the lines and we all got it. I felt sad at that moment, because I thought what he said was unfair. »
A bitterness that has passed, for the Polish president traveling to the United States. He still doesn’t have discussed with his Ukrainian counterpart… also visiting the United States: “We couldn’t have a meeting today. I was on the stand and giving a speech when one could have. »
On tensions over Ukrainian grainthe Polish head of state had no solution to propose and preferred that the question be asked to his country’s Minister of Agriculture.
Read alsoPoland-Ukraine relations: “We must place these tensions in the context of the legislative elections”