Duda Supports Sending Old Polish Military Equipment to Ukraine after Replacing It with New One

Monday, 25 September 2023

Andrzej Duda, President of the Republic of Poland, has supported delivering old military equipment to Ukraine after its replacement with new ones.

Duda mentioned in an interview with Super Express that the statement of Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki that his country is currently not delivering weapons to Ukraine.

"I took the Prime Minister's statement quite differently. Perhaps because I myself recently spoke with him, among other things, about the transfer of equipment to Ukraine. We both said that there is no question of transferring the new equipment that we are now buying, for example, K2 howitzers or K9 tanks [made in the Republic of Korea]," he said.

Duda emphasised that this equipment should serve to strengthen the Polish army.

"We are not spending billions to give it away suddenly. But this does not mean that we will not transfer weapons to Ukraine at all. When the old equipment is replaced with modern ones, I do not see a problem delivering it to the Ukrainians," he said.

Duda stressed one should not make hasty conclusions.

"You need to get your emotions under control because let's remember who will benefit the most if the paths of Poland and Ukraine diverge. The aftermath can be tragic," Duda said.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki explained on Wednesday, 20 September, that Warsaw is now focused on rearming its own army and therefore is not providing military assistance to Kyiv.

Morawiecki's statements came amid tensions between Warsaw and Kyiv over Polish unilateral restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural products and Ukraine's response.

After that, the Polish government stated that Warsaw is currently only carrying out pre-agreed deliveries of ammunition and weapons, including those under contracts with Ukraine.

Later, it became known that the United States asked Poland to clarify the words of its Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki that his state is not currently providing military assistance to Ukraine "because it is rearming itself."

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