The debate in Poland over the transfer of missiles for Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine is primarily driven by domestic politics and is not linked to any actual weakening of the country’s defense capabilities.
This view was expressed by former Polish Minister of National Defense Janusz Onyszkiewicz in an interview with Ukrinform.
“Of course, this is politics. One could even say that transferring even a single helmet to Ukraine reduces Poland’s defense capabilities. That is why this issue is simply being exploited in domestic political struggles,” Onyszkiewicz noted.
He also commented on the Polish government’s decision to publish data on Poland’s provision of military aid to Ukraine after 2022, a move made amid accusations by the opposition that the government was weakening the country’s defense capabilities by transferring missiles for the Patriot systems to Kyiv.
“I think it would have been better not to publish this, but in the current political situation, it was necessary. If only part of the information had been made public, there would always have been a reason to say, ‘They didn’t show everything, so they’re hiding something.’ This could have provided grounds for further accusations by the opposition against the Tusk government,” he explained.
