Mateusz Morawiecki made the declaration at the close of a two-day extraordinary summit of the European Union in Brussels, Belgium, on Friday, Polish state news agency reported.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky attended the get-together as a special guest on Thursday, and said afterwards that several EU leaders had told him they were ready to send fighter jets to help Kyiv repel the Russian invasion.
At a news conference in the Belgian capital, the Polish PM was asked about Poland’s position on jets for Ukraine.
‘NATO must decide on jets for Ukraine’
Morawiecki said: “Poland’s position is the same as that of most NATO member countries. The debate about fighter jets is merely beginning.”
He stated: “NATO would have to make a decision and then Poland could potentially decide what to do, if NATO made such an unequivocal decision that fighter jets can be supplied to Ukraine.”
EU to step up financial aid to countries that host Ukraine refugees
Morawiecki also told reporters the summit concluded that the EU would step up assistance to countries, such as Poland, that had welcomed the biggest number of refugees from Ukraine.
EU leaders stated in the summit’s concluding document: “The European Union reiterates its commitment to reinforce support of displaced persons, both in Ukraine and in the European Union, including through adequate and flexible financial assistance to the Member States who carry the largest burden of medical, education and living costs of refugees.”
Morawiecki-Zelensky talks
The Polish PM also noted that he had met with Zelensky three times in Brussels.
First when the Ukrainian leader addressed the summit, then in a smaller group, featuring the leaders of Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain and Sweden, and finally in a bilateral format on Thursday evening.
Morawiecki stressed: “We talked about key topics related to the current phase of the fight for a safe and stable Europe. Let us not forget that Ukrainian soldiers are also dying for our freedom.”
Friday is day 352 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
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Source: PAP, wpolityce.pl, consilium.europa.eu