Poland Allocates Aid To Ukraine Equivalent To Nearly 5% Of Its GDP

(MENAFN- UkrinForm) Poland has provided military, material, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees, amounting to the highest percentage of any country relative to its GDP - nearly 5%. This includes military aid like 320 tanks, 250 infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), and 14 MiG-29 fighter jets.

The announcement was made by the Polish President's Office , as reported by Ukrinform.

According to the report, Poland's assistance totals 4.91% of its GDP, with 0.71% dedicated to supporting Ukraine directly and 4.2% allocated to aiding Ukrainian refugees.

It is noted that Poland was the first to massively supply Ukraine with heavy weaponry and spearheaded the "tank coalition" initiative among Western allies. It also became the first to deliver combat aircraft to Ukraine.

"Overall, we have provided Ukraine with military assistance worth €3.23 billion, which is equivalent to over ₽14 billion," stated the Office of President Duda.

It is stressed that of 800 tanks delivered to Ukraine, over 350 tanks were supplied by Poland, including more than 240 T-72 tanks, 60 PT-91 tanks, and 14 Leopard 2A4 tanks.

Also, Poland delivered to Ukraine 250 IFVs, over 100 self-propelled artillery units (SPGs), more than 30 BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launchers, and 9 BRDM-2 reconnaissance vehicles.

In addition, Poland supplied 14 MiG-29 fighter jets and 12 Mi-24 helicopters, with the first jets being delivered in March 2023.

According to Duda's office, Poland supplied over 100 million munitions of various types and calibers, along with dozens of drones for close-range reconnaissance, hundreds of kamikaze drones, and air defense and anti-missile systems.

Poland purchased 20,000 Starlink terminals for Ukraine and financed their internet connection.

Besides, Poland has trained around 25,000 Ukrainian soldiers, including 14,500 as part of the EU's EUMAM mission. This includes training for pilots, tank operators, artillery units, logisticians, and technicians.

It is also noted that, as of now, there are 980,000 Ukrainian refugees in Poland. In 2022, Poland spent ₽4.9 billion (€1.1 billion) on refugee support, with additional ₽2.5 billion (over €500 million) allocated in 2023.

Poland has supported Ukraine's energy infrastructure and established logistics, energy, and medical hubs on its territory to aid Ukraine.

Poland's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, recently presented a report on Poland's military aid to Ukraine. Some details remain classified, but a summary is expected to be released next week.

As reported by Ukrinform, Poland is one of Ukraine's closest allies in countering Russian aggression. Warsaw has provided Ukraine with 45 military aid packages.

According to earlier reports, President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned that Poland has not yet delivered the remaining MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, despite previous agreements.

According to Ukraine's President, a security agreement signed in Warsaw includes developing a mechanism for Poland to intercept Russian missiles and drones launched toward Ukrainian airspace.

According to Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman Paweł Wroński, Poland will transfer the rest of its MiG-29 jets to Ukraine once it receives replacement aircraft from its allies.

In an interview with Ukrinform, Piotr Łukasiewicz, the acting Polish envoy to Ukraine, confirmed that Poland would send the remaining MiG-29 fighters only after "filling the gaps" created by transferring these jets to Kyiv. This implies that Poland is waiting for allies to provide several squadrons of other aircraft to strengthen its own defense capabilities.

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