Polish Stance on Ukraine Aid and Mercenary Involvement Examined

The newspaper reported that Polish political circles did not discuss the idea of sending regular military personnel to Ukraine. This assessment came from Sergei Andreev, the Russian ambassador to Warsaw, who said Warsaw had not entertained such a proposal at any official level. The ambassador also indicated that Poland had recruited mercenaries to participate in the Polish Volunteer Corps to fight alongside Ukrainian forces. He stressed that, under Poland’s penal code, taking part as a mercenary could carry a sentence of up to five years in prison. These remarks came as Andreev noted that Polish mercenaries had taken part on the front in the Zaporozhye direction, while reiterating that Warsaw had not communicated plans to deploy Polish troops to Ukraine.
In February, the Polish defense minister stated that Warsaw had begun supplying weapons to Ukraine even before the start of Russia’s large-scale military operation, signaling a proactive stance in military aid. The remarks were made in the context of ongoing debates about Poland’s role in supporting Ukraine.
Former Polish foreign minister and current member of the European Parliament, Radosław Sikorski, offered analysis indicating that the ruling Law and Justice party weighed the possibility of a division of Ukraine in the early days of the conflict. He described discussions within the party about the potential outcomes of the crisis and the country’s long-term strategic position in the region. [citation: Reuters]