Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Kosiniak-Kamysz put the value of aid sent since 2024 at PLN 1.55 billion (EUR 360 million).
The bulk of the overall assistance, he said, was provided in 2022 and 2023 – under the previous government led by the Law and Justice (PiS) party – at an estimated cost of around PLN 15 billion (EUR 3.5 billion).
According to Kosiniak-Kamysz, who also serves as deputy prime minister, PiS politicians were now reluctant to acknowledge this.
Aid delivered since 2024 has included PAC-3 interceptor missiles for the US Patriot air defence system, Scan Eagle drones, rockets, aerial bombs, anti-tank guided missiles and other military equipment.
It constituted 9.4 percent of all donations made to Ukraine since 2022.
Kosiniak-Kamysz also addressed reports that Poland had handed Ukraine Patriot interceptor missiles, rejecting claims by Marcin Przydacz, head of the president's International Policy Bureau, that the government had given up its "place in the queue" at American factories.
"Everything we are doing is aimed at getting more missiles to Poland as quickly as possible," the defence minister stressed, adding that Warsaw had never been asked to give up its slot.
According to Kosiniak-Kamysz, the decision to transfer PAC-3 missiles was made at the request of NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and the alliance's top commander in Europe, General Alexus Grynkewich, following consultations with other Patriot operators.
"The number of missiles handed over represents only a fraction of our capability," he said, adding that both the Polish General Staff and the US commander agreed it would not affect Poland's air defences.
Kosiniak-Kamysz told reporters the move had come as no surprise to the presidential chancellery, the National Security Bureau (BBN) or President Karol Nawrocki, noting that while the head of state does not authorise such donations, he is kept informed.
The defence minister said the matter had been discussed at weekly government meetings, with regular updates passed to the president's office as the process moved forward.
Kosiniak-Kamysz also confirmed that talks were continuing on a possible transfer of MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, in exchange for access to Ukrainian drone technology.
"I thought the negotiations had reached a dead end, but last week – perhaps partly because of our firm stance – gave us reason to keep talking," he said.
Kyiv had submitted proposals for transferring drone technology to Warsaw over the next two years, he added, making an exchange "realistic" – but stressed it would need to be a genuine swap, not a one-way transfer from Poland.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed earlier on Monday that Poland had handed over Patriot missiles to Ukraine, urging politicians "not to play with fire" over an issue he said had previously enjoyed cross-party consensus.
He noted that the opposition had not criticised similar arms transfers under the previous PiS government in the early stages of the war.
On Sunday, Kosiniak-Kamysz announced he would declassify all information on military aid given to Ukraine between 2022 and 2026.
(ał)
Source: PAP