The differences between Germany and Poland risk undermining the joint efforts of NATO countries to supply Ukraine, although the alliance has shown unity to support Kiev, the agency reported. Bloomberg.
“The conflict between Warsaw and Berlin over missiles, tanks and spare parts has reached a new level, even as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Western supporters to “hurry” over the surrender of weapons before any spring offensive begins. broadcasting.
According to Bloomberg, the Polish authorities do not miss the opportunity to criticize Berlin for delaying the delivery of tanks to the Ukrainian army and the lack of spare parts for older models of Leopard tanks.
“We have long called on the German side to join the tank coalition and supply not only tanks, but also spare parts,” said Polish President Andrzej Duda. He believes that the main responsibility for supplying tanks to Ukraine lies with Germany, as it is its main manufacturer.
Also, according to a Bloomberg source, Germany is accused in Warsaw of focusing more on competing with Poland “for international glory” than on giving Ukraine the necessary weapons. Disputes also concern economic interaction with Russia. In particular, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak criticized Germany’s sending “billions of dollars” for gas to Moscow.
blame
In response to the accusations of the Polish authorities, German Ambassador Thomas Bagger wrote on Twitter: “Does the minister know how many billion zlotys per year Poland transfers to Moscow in exchange for Russian energy?”
German officials described Poland’s rhetoric before the elections as “political theatre”. According to an anonymous Bloomberg source, The German government, led by Olaf Scholz, believes tensions will ease after the election campaign ends.
But Germany acknowledged the difficulties of sending tanks to the Ukrainian army. At a NATO meeting in Brussels, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that contrary to promises, the alliance of countries supplying tanks to Ukraine could send to Kiev only half of the more modern Leopard 2 A6 battalion.
He also said that “the situation does not seem encouraging, especially in terms of the condition and combat effectiveness of the tanks”, adding that he “little understands” why Poland was putting so much pressure on Berlin to replenish tanks when leaving. a certain number of armored vehicles for myself. According to the Defense Minister, Germany also does not have spare parts for the old version of the Leopard.
Cooperation is not broken
Bloomberg notes that, despite disagreements over tanks and weapons, bilateral interaction in other areas is progressing “more smoothly.” Speaking to the agency, a senior German official pointed to close cooperation on the Patriot anti-missile system, which Germany donated to Poland as air defense support.
The head of the German Ministry of Defense said in an interview with Bloomberg that due to the lack of parts for old tanks, ammunition must be collected “from all over the world” as we work to increase production capacity.
“But it also takes time, so we have to make do with the resources we have,” Pistorius said.
Olaf Scholz also said that previously Ukraine’s allies have been working closely to ensure a reliable supply of parts and spare parts. “This will remain an ongoing task because we said we will continue to support Ukraine no matter how long it takes,” the Chancellor said.
Assistance to Ukraine from Berlin and Warsaw
Among European countries, Germany and Poland are among the leaders in providing military, financial and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Thus, in the autumn of 2022, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that his country has set aside 1% of its GDP to help Ukraine. According to him, “Poland is the second largest donor to the Ukrainian army.”
“1 percent of our GDP was transferred to support Ukraine financially, humanitarianly, and military aid if we talk about arms supply,” Morawiecki said.
At the same time, according Statistics According to the Kiel Institute of World Economy, the total aid (both military and humanitarian) by the Polish state to Ukraine by mid-January 2023 amounted to €3.559 billion, or 0.63% of Poland’s GDP. Germany allocated total aid to Ukraine amounting to 6.151 billion Euros, or 0.17% of its GDP.
These two countries are also the countries that receive the most refugees from Ukraine, which has been forced to leave the war zone for the EU. As of mid-February 2023, more than 1.5 million people from Ukraine who have received refugee status are in Poland. For Germany, the figure is just over 1 million.
More than 7 million Ukrainians have arrived in Poland since the start of hostilities. Refugee status entitles them to financial aid. At the same time, more than 5 million Ukrainians returned to their homeland or moved to other countries. However, for both Poland and Germany, accepting refugees means an additional burden on the federal budget, public services and the economy as a whole.
According to the data provided by UNIAN, the total number of refugees coming from Ukraine to Germany is increasing by an average of 170 people every day. German municipal authorities expect further assistance, including financial assistance, from the federal center for the reception and integration of refugees. According to them, such aid should not be a one-off, but should be designed for the long term.
European Commission Vice-President Dubravka Schuica believes that Germany and Poland will have to adapt to the fact that after the end of hostilities, Ukrainians will stay in these countries for many years.