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Polish PM urges Western allies to send more arms to Ukraine

23.02.2023 19:30
Poland’s prime minister has urged Western European nations to send more weapons and faster to help Ukraine fend off Russia's nearly year-old invasion.
Polands Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Denmarks Mette Fredriksen hold a joint news conference after talks in Copenhagen on Thursday, February 23, 2023.
Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Denmark's Mette Fredriksen hold a joint news conference after talks in Copenhagen on Thursday, February 23, 2023.PAP/Andrzej Lange

Speaking during a visit to the Danish capital Copenhagen on Thursday, Mateusz Morawiecki said that "if not for the United States, Poland and the United Kingdom, Ukraine probably would not have survived the first couple of weeks" of the war, Polish state news agency PAP reported.

The Polish prime minister met for talks with his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen in Copenhagen on Thursday to discuss security cooperation amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, on the eve of its first anniversary, according to officials. 

West must be 'more generous' and act faster: Polish PM

At a joint news conference afterwards, Morawiecki said that the countries of Western Europe should be "exactly like Denmark and Poland.”

He elaborated that he wanted Western allies to "be more generous" in terms of weapons deliveries and act faster.

Poland has been a key ally of Ukraine as it battles the Russian invasion, and has been instrumental in persuading European allies to provide heavy military equipment to Ukraine, including tanks, a move opposed by several countries until recently, the Reuters news agency reported.

'Some sceptical countries should no longer be sceptical'

Poland’s Morawiecki told reporters in Copenhagen: "Let's be frank. If not for the United States, Poland and the United Kingdom, Ukraine probably would not have survived the first couple of weeks or the first couple of months" of the war.

He added: "It's just strengthening the NATO alliance, some sceptical countries should no longer be sceptical." 

The Polish prime minister told reporters that his country "has formed various international coalitions" for the provision of weapons to Ukraine, including a coalition to send Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv.

He stated: “Many Ukrainian soldiers are being trained on these tanks in Poland as we speak. Poland will probably be the first country, and definitely one of the first countries, to supply Leopard tanks to Ukraine.”

West 'must do everything' to help Ukraine 'win this war'

Morawiecki declared: “For us and for NATO, the aim of the war in Ukraine is very unambiguous. It is to support Ukraine so that it can win this war.”

He added: “The West must do everything in its power to achieve this aim. Thanks to our cooperation, we are supporting Ukraine as much as possible and we are making our contribution.”

Morawiecki’s call for more Western support to Ukraine was echoed by Denmark’s Frederiksen, who told reporters: "We need to be aware that we don't have a lot of time. So we need to speed up our financial support, our military help, we need more donations and we need to work very closely together to make sure they have the capacities they need." 

Thursday is day 365 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

(pm/gs)

Source: PAP, Reuters, rmf24.pl