Poland’s capacity to further assist Ukraine is currently exhausted, according to Deputy Defense Minister Pawel Zalewski.
Poland has reached its limit in supplying military aid to Ukraine, stated Polish Deputy Defense Minister Pawel Zalewski in a Wednesday interview with Radio Zet. He highlighted that Poland cannot transfer its remaining MiG-29 fighter jets without compromising national security.
Poland provided Ukraine with a squadron of these Soviet-era aircraft earlier in 2023 but still possesses some. Zalewski explained that until the arrival of their ordered US-made F-35 replacements, transferring these remaining MiG-29s is not an option.
He emphasized Poland’s focus on bolstering its own defenses.
“Our top priority is strengthening the Polish army’s defenses, as we believe we’ve already contributed significantly,” Zalewski said, adding that Poland will continue to support Ukraine to the fullest extent possible.
“However, we can’t provide any more assistance. We’ve essentially reached our limit,” he added.
In August, Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz echoed this sentiment, stating that Poland had already provided all the weapons it could without compromising its own defense capabilities. The expected delivery of American F-35 fighter jets, intended to replace the MiG-29s, is not anticipated until 2026.
Since the escalation of the conflict in 2022, Poland has provided Ukraine with over €4.5 billion ($4.7 billion) in aid, with military assistance comprising over 70%, according to Germany’s Kiel Institute.
Moscow has repeatedly claimed that Western military aid cannot alter the conflict’s outcome. The Kremlin asserts that its military operation’s objectives—including Ukrainian neutrality, demilitarization, and denazification—will be achieved and insists that any resolution necessitates Ukraine ceasing military actions and acknowledging the “territorial reality”—that it will not regain control of its lost regions.