Poland no longer arming Ukraine: Polish PM

Poland summoned the Ukrainian ambassador to protest at remarks made at the UN by President Volody­myr Zelensky.

Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky addresses the UN Security Council on Wednesday. Picture: AFP

Poland on Wednesday said it would no longer arm Ukraine and instead focus on its own defence, as the allies clashed at a key moment in Kyiv’s fightback against Russia’s invasion.

In a mounting row over grain exports from Ukraine, Poland summoned the Ukrainian ambassador to protest at remarks made at the UN by President Volody­myr Zelensky.

The Ukrainian leader said some countries were only pretending to support his nation as it waged a counteroffensive to retake land usurped by Russia.

Warsaw took offence at this.

Poland has been one of Ukraine’s staunchest supporters after Russia invaded in February 2022, and is one of Kyiv’s main weapons suppliers.

Much of the weaponry that the US and other countries send to Ukraine passes through Poland, which borders Ukraine to the west. Poland also hosts some one million Ukrainian refugees, who have benefited from various kinds of state aid.

Tensions between Warsaw and Kyiv were sparked by a Polish ban on Ukrainian grain imports, with the goal of protecting its own farmers. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki was asked overnight on Wednesday if his country would continue to back Kyiv, despite this dispute.

“We are no longer transferring weapons to Ukraine, because we are now arming Poland with more modern weapons,” Mr Morawiecki said.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has closed off Black Sea shipping lanes used before the war, resulting in the EU becoming a major transit route and export destination for Ukrainian grain.

In May, the EU agreed to restrict exports to Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, seeking to protect farmers there who blamed the shipments for a slump in prices on local markets. The measures allowed the products to keep transiting through the five countries, but stopped them being sold on the local market.

On Friday, the European Commission said it was ending the import ban, saying “the market distortions in the five member states bordering Ukraine have disappeared”.

Poland, Hungary and Slovakia immediately announced they would defy the move.

French Foreign Minister Catherina Colonna, speaking at the UN, said Poland’s decision to ban Ukraine’s grain was unjustified. Citing an EU study, she said Ukrainian grain imports would not disrupt the market or cripple European farmers.

The grain issue is particularly sensitive in Poland, where elections take place next month. The right-wing government of the Law and Justice party has strong support in farming regions.

AFP