What weight did Polish military support have for the Ukrainian army?

A real blow for Ukraine. While the counter-offensive led by kyiv in the south and east of the country progresses laboriously, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced that his country “will no longer transfer any weapons to Ukraine”. The head of government justified this choice by the fact that Poland was concentrating on its rapid rearmament with the “most modern” equipment.

This statement comes above all in a context of growing tensions between the two countries, a few hours after Volodymyr Zelensky accused “certain countries” of “feigning solidarity by indirectly supporting Ukraine”. Whatever the reasons for Poland's withdrawal, it will cost the Ukrainians dearly. Because Warsaw has been one of the largest contributors of military aid since the start of the war.

Of the 31 countries that have granted military aid to kyiv since the start of the war, Poland is in sixth position. According to the Kiel Institute of World Economy, Warsaw provided 3 billion euros in military aid (weapons, materials, equipment) to its neighbor. The American government remains by far Ukraine's largest supplier, with 42.1 billion in aid promised between February 24, 2022 and July 31, 2023, followed by Germany (17.1 billion) and Great Britain (6.6 billion).

But among the more modest countries, Poland is only ahead of Norway (3.7 billion) and Denmark (3.5 billion). For comparison, France supplied around 500 million euros worth of weapons and equipment to the Ukrainian army during the period studied. But France is participating in the European Union effort, which amounts to 5.6 billion on a military level.

Also read: How Poland aims to develop the largest land army in Europe

Very concretely, this Polish envelope of 3 billion includes 820 million euros in financial aid and the rest in arms and military equipment. Warsaw was thus one of the first to deliver combat tanks to Ukraine. From April 2022, around 250 T-72 tanks have been sent. Aging, these tanks had nevertheless been offered massively. Above all, Poland then represented the largest supplier of Soviet tanks (around 350 of them were delivered to Ukraine).

When it came to delivering more modern tanks to Ukraine, Poland quickly put pressure on Germany to send Leopard 2s. Once the agreement was obtained, Warsaw offered 14 of these tanks in two stages, in their A4 version, which is as much as Berlin, which however delivered the superior A6 version. As early as April, the government had already begun sending 60 PT-91 tanks, derived from the T-72 but of Polish design.

In terms of aviation, Poland was also one of the first nations to provide MiG-29 fighters: four in April and ten in May 2023. Here again, it had to wait for validation from Germany, which had given them to it. given in the past by drawing on its stocks inherited from the GDR. Warsaw also sent 12 Mi-24 attack helicopters last July. Concerning artillery, 38 self-propelled howitzers (Krab and Gozdziks) were transferred to Ukraine, and 78 sold (Krab and Raks) with financial assistance from the EU and the United States. 20 Grad multiple rocket launchers, some anti-aircraft guns, surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles were also delivered.

Poland has further supplied more than 240 infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine, the majority of which were purchased with EU and US funding. Around twenty reconnaissance drones and around forty lurking munitions also gradually arrived in Ukraine. A Turkish Bayraktar drone was even offered symbolically by the Polish population. Numerous assault rifles and large quantities of ammunition were also delivered.

The question now arises of maintaining all peripheral military aid provided by Poland. Less visible, they could find themselves in danger if relations between the two countries deteriorate further. For now, the Polish Prime Minister clarified that the military “hub” located in the town of Rzeszow, in the southeast of the country, was operating normally. This is where most of the Western equipment destined for Ukraine transits.

Poland has also invested heavily in training Ukrainian soldiers. Since the start of the war, it has hosted them in training camps, where French instructors sometimes officiate. Warsaw has even started training Ukrainian pilots on American F16 fighter planes, after Joe Biden gave the green light to the delivery of these fighters by the West. In addition, many Polish volunteers have gone to fight in Ukraine since the start of the war, motivated by the proximity of the conflict. Will the Prime Minister’s announcement dry up this flow?