“Both our countries will contribute to the Czech ammunition initiative, and both our countries have also provided enormous bilateral military assistance to Ukraine,” said Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, speaking to journalists at the end of his visit to Helsinki.
On Thursday, Sikorski visited Finland, where he met the President of Finland, Alexander Stubb, and the head of the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Elina Valtonen. He also visited the staff of the Polish embassy and the civil protection reception center.
The visit to Finland proves that we have perfect strategic solidarity, the same security interests and good bilateral relations
– the minister told journalists.
Poland and Finland will join the Czech initiative
The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was asked whether he discussed an aid package for Ukraine during his visit to Finland.
Yes of course. Both our countries will contribute to the Czech ammunition initiative and both our countries have also provided enormous bilateral military assistance to Ukraine
– replied the minister.
According to him, “this confirms the principle that the closer to Russia’s borders, the greater the defense expenditure and the greater the willingness to help Ukraine.”
Asked whether there is a will in Europe to provide more support to Ukraine as the country awaits approval, Sikorski noted that the Czech munitions initiative “quickly generated more money for missiles than planned.”
Sikorski referred to the information provided a week ago by the President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, that the amount necessary for the purchase of PLN 800,000 had been collected. pieces of artillery ammunition for Ukraine. The missiles will be purchased from countries outside the European Union.
The action initiated by the Czech Republic will cover a further 18 countries. The ammunition should arrive in Ukraine in the coming weeks, President Pavel said. He announced that the Czech side will now inform partners about the next steps.
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““European Peace Fund”
The head of the Polish Foreign Ministry, speaking about aid to Ukraine, emphasized that “he still has unconfirmed, but good news about the European Peace Fund, that is, the EU defense budget.”
I think we will approve five billion euros this year, and from this fund we can reimburse countries for these deliveries and, I hope, also buy new ammunition and equipment.
– he said.
He added that there are also “other side initiatives” in Europe to help fight Ukraine.
Sikorski was also asked whether Germany was expected to supply its Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine.
The head of the Foreign Ministry noted that he believes this issue will be the subject of discussions during Friday’s Weimar Triangle summit. He expressed his satisfaction that this format “is also starting to work at the level of government leaders.” According to the minister, this shows that Poland is returning to the decision-making circles of the EU.
On Friday, Prime Minister Donald Tusk will go to Berlin, where he will participate in the Weimar Triangle summit together with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Tusk announced the convening of a sudden, unplanned summit after his meeting with US President Joe Biden in Washington.
When asked about the upcoming elections in Russia, Sikorski said that “this is one of those elections where we don’t know who will win, but we do know who will become president.”
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Source: wPolityce