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Polish defence minister urges EU to boost military aid to Ukraine

17.05.2022 21:00
Poland’s defence minister on Tuesday urged the European Union to provide more military assistance to war-hit Ukraine.
Polands Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak (R) and the Czech Republics Jana Cernochova (L) attend a meeting in Brussels on Tuesday, May 17, 2022.
Poland's Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak (R) and the Czech Republic's Jana Cernochova (L) attend a meeting in Brussels on Tuesday, May 17, 2022.PAP/EPA/Olivier Hoslet

Mariusz Błaszczak made the appeal at a meeting of EU defence ministers in Brussels, Polish state news agency PAP reported.

More military aid for Ukraine

The defence minister told a media briefing afterwards: “In my opinion, shared by other countries, raising military assistance for Ukraine to USD 2 billion is far too little.”

He said Poland alone had contributed over USD 1 billion to finance military equipment for its eastern neighbour. 

'Swedish, Finnish membership will strengthen NATO'

Błaszczak told reporters that he and fellow EU defence ministers "received with considerable enthusiasm the decision by Sweden and Finland" to apply for NATO membership.

“It will strengthen the alliance and the policy of deterrence, which is the essence of NATO,” he said.

Enhancing army mobility

Błaszczak also said he had come out in favour of a plan to raise the mobility of armies across the EU. 

“It would mean developing transport infrastructure, including railways and airports,” Błaszczak told the media in Brussels.

Tuesday was day 83 of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

(pm/gs)

Source: PAPpolskatimes.pl