Duda on relations with Ukraine: Life is cruel

Polish President Andrzej Duda has said that Poland is currently unable to supply as many weapons to Ukraine as it did in the past, which, in his opinion, could affect relations between the two countries.

Duda was asked on Zet radio whether Kyiv, having received "everything it could get from Poland, stopped taking the country into account", Duda said that "in a sense, it may look like that".

"We gave what we could give, and we gave it quickly when it was needed, and this is our great pride. However, two years have passed since then. ‘I’m sorry to say that life is cruel." 

Duda emphasised that he cares about good relations with Ukraine, and he sees the reasons for the deterioration of relations with Kyiv not only in the change in the attitude of the Ukrainian authorities towards Poland but also in the pressure exerted on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by "his biggest donors, that is, those who give him the largest amount of weapons today".

"Ukraine must continue to fight, and today we are no longer able to send as many weapons as we have sent in the past, because we have already supplied what we could, and a responsible politician simply cannot send new weapons," Duda emphasised.

In addition, Duda was asked about strengthening relations between Ukraine and Germany, to which he said that "today Germany is expanding its influence in Ukraine, they are strong".

"It is true that in difficult times, perhaps, the Ukrainian government assumes that it is better to be friends with such a partner," the Polish president added.

Recently, it was reported that Duda denied the possibility of supplying Kyiv with weapons that Warsaw had purchased from South Korea.

It was reported that Zelenskyy hopes for the further positive development of relations with Poland with the start of the neighbouring country's EU presidency.