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Poland mulls giving Ukraine Soviet-era missiles: president

12.04.2024 12:00
Warsaw is in talks with Kyiv on the possible transfer of Soviet-era missiles, Polish President Andrzej Duda has said. 
Polish President Andrzej Duda (right), Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda (centre) and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky hold a joint news conference in Vilnius on Thursday, April 11, 2024.
Polish President Andrzej Duda (right), Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda (centre) and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky hold a joint news conference in Vilnius on Thursday, April 11, 2024.Photo: PAP/Piotr Nowak

"We talked with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about a certain stock of Soviet-era missiles which we have in our warehouses and we have talked about handing them over," Duda told a news conference in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on Thursday.

Duda was visiting Lithuania to take part in discussions at the 9th Summit of the Three Seas Initiative, a project aiming to develop infrastructure in countries lying between the Baltic, Black and Adriatic Seas.

Duda added that he would discuss the subject with Poland's defence minister.

"They [the Soviet missiles] are now in warehouses and we talked about handing them to the Ukrainian anti-rocket defence force," Duda said, as quoted by Polish state news agency PAP.

Duda made the statement after being queried whether he had considered making Poland's Patriot systems available to Ukraine.

Duda confirmed that Patriot batteries had been deployed to Poland by the US and British armies but said that his country was just beginning to instal the systems on its territory. He argued that Poland itself needs them all for air defence.

"We are just starting to implement that system in Poland; it is definitely not yet ready,” Duda said.

"Actually, today, Poland has nothing [of the Patriot systems] to give, even if we wanted to," he added.

Duda told reporters that Russian missiles had breached Polish airspace several times. He said: "We find ourselves in a situation of threat of a potential Russian attack."

Ukraine’s Zelensky was in Vilnius on Thursday to take part in the Three Seas Summit and hold talks with the leaders of partner countries.

He once again urged allies to provide more air defense systems to Kyiv.

"Missiles are striking every day, and every day we hear that Ukraine will receive new air defense systems," Zelensky said.

 "The reality must finally match the words, and real losses of Russian terror must be ensured,” he added.

(mo/gs)

Source: PAP, kyivindependent.com