Poland will cease supplying weapons to Ukraine after a row about grain imports noticed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticise the nation on the UN and Warsaw summon Kyiv’s ambassador.
Poland has been one of many greatest suppliers of arms to Ukraine, transferring a lot of its older weapons, in addition to taking in an enormous variety of refugees.
However Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki stated the scheme would finish as a result of it’s updating its arms stock.
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“We’re now not transferring any weapons to Ukraine as a result of now we are going to arm ourselves with essentially the most trendy weapons,” he informed Polsat Information.
He denied it was associated to the grain row and stated his resolution would not affect weapons transfers via Poland, the place Rzeszow is a world hub for shuttling arms throughout the border.
Relations have soured after Poland final week joined Hungary and Slovakia in extending an EU ban on Ukrainian grain to guard its personal farmers.
President Zelenskyy attacked the choice on the UN Basic Meeting in New York on Tuesday.
“Alarmingly, some in Europe play out solidarity in a political theatre – turning grain right into a thriller,” he stated.
“They might appear to play their very own roles. Actually, they’re serving to set the stage for a Moscow actor.”
Poland referred to as within the Ukrainian ambassador for a dressing down on Wednesday and stated deputy overseas minister Pawel Jablonski had expressed a “robust protest”.
It stated he had informed Vasyl Zvarych that “sending complaints to worldwide tribunals should not acceptable strategies of resolving disputes between our international locations”.
Some European nations have seen a surge in Ukrainian grain as Russian blockades imply it may well now not export to different components of the world.
On Friday, the European Fee determined to not prolong a ban on gross sales to 5 international locations – Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia.
Nevertheless, the latter three stated they might keep the ban.
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Kyiv’s overseas ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko stated on Fb: “We urge our Polish buddies to place apart their feelings.
“The Ukrainian aspect has provided Poland a constructive path to resolve the grain situation.”
He stated their ambassador had careworn the “unacceptability” of Poland’s ban – and in addition the “incorrectness” of feedback by Polish President Andrzej Duda.
The Polish chief, chatting with reporters in New York, stated Ukraine ought to keep in mind it will get assist from Poland and likened the nation to a “drowning particular person”.
“A drowning particular person is extraordinarily harmful as a result of he can pull you to the depth… He can merely drown the rescuer,” he stated.
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Ukraine has threatened retaliatory measures on some imports if the international locations blocking its grain do not change course – in addition to lodging a protest with the World Commerce Organisation.
Mr Morawiecki hit again throughout his Polsat Information on Wednesday.
“I warn the Ukrainian authorities, as a result of in the event that they escalate this battle on this manner, we are going to add extra merchandise to the ban on import into the territory of the Republic of Poland,” he stated.
Some commentators imagine Poland’s resolution to cease weapons transfers is expounded to subsequent month’s parliamentary elections.
The nation’s ruling nationalist Regulation and Justice celebration has been criticised by the far proper for what it says is a subservient perspective to Ukraine.