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Polish PM calls for more weapons for Ukraine

15.06.2022 07:00
Poland’s prime minister has called on the international community to supply more weapons to Ukraine to help it defend itself against Russia's invasion.
Audio
Polands Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki talks to reporters after a meeting of NATO countries that are also members of the European Union, in the Hague, the Netherlands, on Tuesday, June 14, 2022.
Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki talks to reporters after a meeting of NATO countries that are also members of the European Union, in the Hague, the Netherlands, on Tuesday, June 14, 2022.Twitter/KPRM

Mateusz Morawiecki made the appeal at a meeting with the heads of state and government of Denmark, the Netherlands, Romania, Belgium, Latvia and Portugal in the Hague, the Netherlands, on Tuesday, Polish state news agency PAP reported.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also attended the gathering.

The talks focused on military assistance to war-torn Ukraine, among other topics, according to officials.

Weapons for Ukraine

Afterwards, the Polish prime minister told reporters: “It is important that we strengthen our transatlantic ties in the face of the threat from Russia and the war in Ukraine.”

He added: “I call on everyone to help Ukraine with the supply of weapons and the necessary support.”

“We cannot imagine a scenario in which Ukraine would lose. It would be an absolute failure of our values,” Morawiecki warned.

Ukraine's EU bid

He also urged other countries to support Ukraine’s bid to join the European Union.

Morawiecki told reporters: “It is important to support ambitions to join the EU. We support their aspirations to be granted candidate status as soon as possible because the Ukrainian people need hope.”

The European Commission is expected to announce its assessment of Ukraine’s EU bid this week. If the assessment is positive, the bloc’s 27 governments will decide whether to grant Ukraine candidate status, the PAP news agency reported. 

The decision requires the unanimous approval of the 27 heads of state and government on the European Council. At least three countries are still opposed, officials told reporters.

The European Council is expected to discuss the issue at a summit in Brussels next week, according to officials.

Preparations for NATO summit

Tuesday’s meeting in the Hague brought together leaders from NATO countries that are also members of the EU. It was part of preparations for the upcoming NATO summit in Madrid, Spain.

The talks were co-hosted by the prime minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, and Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen.

Participants included Morawiecki, Stoltenberg, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo, Latvia’s Krišjānis Kariņš, Portugal’s António Costa, and the president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis.

(pm/gs)

Source: PAPpolsatnews.pl, politico.eu 

Click on the audio player above for a report by Radio Poland's Michał Owczarek.