In The Aftermath Of Disputes Over Wheat, Poland Stops Arms Supply To Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky with Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki. (Wikimedia Commons/Presidentt.gov.ua)

JAKARTA - Poland has decided to stop supplying weapons to Ukraine, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said, amid a dispute between the two countries over wheat, said it was focused on building its military power.

Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Wednesday that Poland, which is also a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), no longer arming Ukraine and focusing on rebuilding its own weapons supplies.

"I want to let you know, Poland is only delivering the previously agreed ammunition and weapons," government spokesman Piotr Muller told the PAP government news agency on Thursday.

"This includes the results of a contract signed with Ukraine," he said.

When asked about PM Morawiecki's comments regarding the supply of weapons, State Assets Minister Jacek Sasin said: "Currently, as the prime minister said, we will see in the future."

However, Sasin said disputes over the import of wheat did not mean Poland stopped supporting Ukraine against Russia. However, Warsaw needed to increase its own stockpile of weapons.

"In this case, Poland's interests are the main ones," he said.

"We cannot arm the Polish army, we cannot eliminate the weapons needed for our security," he explained.

"Where we can arrange for the transfer of weapons, we did it and we are very generous in this regard. Here we absolutely don't need to blame ourselves.

It is known that Poland's decision to extend the ban on Ukrainian wheat imports has irritated Kyiv.

Russia's massive invasion forced Ukraine to look for alternative land routes when the main Black Sea cruise route was closed, as quoted by the BBC.

This caused a large number of grains to end in Central Europe. As a result, the European Union temporarily banned the import of seeds to five countries, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia, to protect local farmers.

When the ban ended on September 15, the EU chose not to update it. However, Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland continued the ban.

Despite the ban, the three countries said they still allowed the delivery of grains through the country to other markets.

On Tuesday, Poland summoned the Ukrainian Ambassador for comments made by President Volodymyr Zelensky at the United Nations after Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia extended the ban on Ukrainian wheat.

President Zelensky said it was very worrying how some Ukrainian friends in Europe showed solidarity "at political theaters, making thriller films from raw materials".

Warsaw denounced his words as "unjustified about Poland, which has supported Ukraine since the first days of war".

Warsaw is to date seen as one of Ukraine's most loyal allies in the face of the Russian invasion. So far, Poland has delivered 320 Soviet-era tanks and 14 MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine.