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Poland rules out sending troops to Ukraine despite U.S. envoy Kellogg’s ‘E4’ peacekeeping idea

14.05.2025 12:00
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said on Wednesday that Warsaw will not deploy soldiers inside Ukraine under any future peacekeeping mission, pushing back against recent remarks by U.S. special envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg.
Polands top diplomat, Radosław Sikorski.
Poland's top diplomat, Radosław Sikorski.PAP/Jakub Kaczmarczyk

“Kellogg may have over‑interpreted Poland’s role,” Sikorski told online news site Onet.

“Our participation would not involve Polish soldiers on Ukrainian soil. We can support an air bridge, secure the logistics hub and, above all, protect our 600‑kilometer frontier with Russia and Belarus for the benefit of any forces that might go into Ukraine.”

Kellogg’s ‘E4’ concept

Speaking on Fox Business on Tuesday, Kellogg said Washington’s draft plan to end the war envisages a ceasefire followed by talks on territory, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and Kyiv’s NATO future.

He floated a “resilience force” drawn from Britain, France, Germany and Poland—upgrading the so‑called “E3” to “E4”—to be stationed west of the Dnipro, while a separate “third‑country” contingent would monitor the truce on the eastern bank.

Sikorski, who has discussed such ideas with Kellogg, stressed that no ally is pressuring Poland to supply combat troops.

“Everyone understands Poland is NATO’s front‑line state; guarding the eastern flank is our primary contribution,” he said.

Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak‑Kamysz echoed the stance, telling reporters: “Poland will not send soldiers to Ukraine. Our role is logistical support.”

Air‑bridge and hub

Since 2022 Poland has hosted the U.S.–led logistics corridor through Rzeszów airport that funnels Western weapons into Ukraine.

Officials said any peacekeeping mission would likely use the same infrastructure, with Polish forces tasked to shield it from Russian or Belarusian incursions.

The clarifications come four days before Poland’s presidential first round, in which security support for Kyiv is a divisive issue. Sikorski said Poland backs a U.S.‑brokered 30‑day ceasefire and broader talks but sees no grounds for putting Polish boots across the border.

(jh)

Source: PAP, Onet