Mateusz Morawiecki made the remarks at a news conference on Thursday, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
Morawiecki spoke to the media at a government warehouse in the central village of Komorów. He was accompanied by the European Union Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, and Ukraine’s ambassador to Poland, Vasyl Zvarych.
Earlier, the Polish prime minister and the EU's Lenarčič held talks on further aid to Ukraine, according to officials.
'Cruel, savage, barbaric war' in Ukraine
Morawiecki told reporters that next month would see the first anniversary of the outbreak of “the cruel, savage, barbaric war” in Ukraine.
He said that "if Russia had succeeded in its plan to conquer Ukraine, today Russian forces would be stationed along our entire eastern border, as Belarus is essentially a Russian protectorate.”
Morawiecki added: “The fact that this hasn’t happened is down to the heroic defence put up by Ukraine. This heroic defence must receive global support and Poland is a key country that is working to organise this support.”
'Poland has played a key role in our efforts': EU’s Lenarčič
The EU’s Lenarčič said that the warehouse in Komorów would be used by Brussels to store various supplies earmarked for Ukraine and its war-stricken people.
He added, as quoted by PAP: “It’s one of many warehouses made available by Poland for the purposes of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.”
Lenarčič told reporters: “What we can see here are supplies donated by Poland, but also Belgium and Denmark. They include equipment designed to help rebuild Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, but also other supplies.”
Lenarčič said that the EU has so far sent 80,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Ukraine, including food, medicines, power generators and mobile hospitals.
He added: “Eighty percent of the EU’s civil protection assistance is passing through Poland,” adding: “Poland has played a key role in our efforts.”
He thanked the Polish government for “magnificent cooperation and support,” the PAP news agency reported.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Zvarych thanked Poland and the EU for their “unceasing support” for his country amid the Russian assault and declared that “Ukraine’s rightful place is in the European Union and NATO,” as quoted by PAP.
Thursday is day 337 of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
pm/gs
Source: PAP, EU Civil Protection Mechanism, tvpparlament.pl