The humanitarian aid is an expression of Poland's solidarity with countries east of its borders, Polish presidential aide Piotr Ćwik told reporters.
Speaking at a news conference in the eastern Polish town of Biała Podlaska on Wednesday, Ćwik described Ukraine as one of Poland's strategic partners and said that the assistance was being provided under the auspices of NATO's Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC).
A convoy of 20 trucks departed for Ukraine on Wednesday, with the aid expected to be officially handed over by Polish President Andrzej Duda when he visits Kyiv next week.
'Effective help' from Poland
Ćwiek told reporters that the delivery showed Poland was able to "provide effective help" to its neighbours.
He added that Duda's upcoming trip to Ukraine reflected Kyiv's strategic importance to Warsaw.
Michał Kuczmierowski, head of the Government Strategic Reserves Agency (RARS), said that, in addition to medical equipment, the convoy would bring to Ukraine tens of thousands of litres of disinfectant, several million masks and a similar number of gloves and protective gowns.
Kuczmierowski added that around 650,000 vaccine doses were being sent to Kyiv to support the Ukrainians in the fight against the coronavirus as part of the European Union's Eastern Partnership initiative spearheaded by Poland.
'Such gestures linger in memory for years': deputy FM
Deputy Foreign Minister Paweł Jabłoński told the news conference that Poland has dispatched medical teams and sent humanitarian aid to more than 10 countries since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ukraine and Belarus are among the countries that have benefited from Polish aid, he added.
"Polish aid is available throughout the world," Jabłoński said, adding that "Poland has always been synonymous with solidarity, thanks to which we won freedom and are now helping our partners and friends."
Jabłoński also stated that such assistance was "strengthening Poland's international position" and enhancing its relations with beneficiary countries.
"Such gestures linger in the memory for years and will allow us to smoothly develop our relations, our friendship, with Ukraine and other nations whom we are helping," Jabłoński told reporters.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP