Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha spoke about this in an interview with Ukrinform.
According to him, the Polish side has decided to provide a €125 million loan for the purchase of weapons from a Polish manufacturer. He noted that this was confirmed to him by Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, and that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk had also discussed the matter.
“We understand that, for example, the Piorun MANPADS is an extremely effective weapon. Ukraine is interested in purchasing this weaponry using the loan. We are currently discussing how to finalize this agreement. I hope this will happen in the near future—by the end of the year—since there is political will for it, and funds have been allocated in Poland’s budget,” Sybiha said.
He added that this issue is currently being resolved at the level of the finance and defense ministries of both countries, specifically regarding the list of products that Ukraine will purchase from Poland.
The head of Ukrainian diplomacy emphasized that such cooperation is beneficial to both sides. According to him, it is also beneficial for Poland, as the funds will support its defense-industrial complex, and the products supplied to Ukraine will be tested on the battlefield. This will mean that they will be improved, and thanks to positive feedback from Ukrainians, this will undoubtedly help Polish products enter new markets and expand their reach.
Sybiha also emphasized Ukraine’s readiness to deepen defense cooperation with Poland, in particular to conclude the “Drone Deal”—an agreement on cooperation in the field of unmanned systems. He noted that it will be signed once both sides have agreed on the terms.
“What matters here is the substance, not the timeline, but we are ready. Joint production is also important, and we are ready for that as well. Poland is one of the largest recipients of the European SAFE program. Here, too, we are ready to work together on a mutually beneficial basis,” the head of Ukrainian diplomacy emphasized.
Sybiha noted that during his visit to Warsaw, he discussed the entire agenda of Ukrainian-Polish relations with his Polish counterpart, Radosław Sikorski, including joint defense projects.
Read also: FM Sybiha: Ukraine receives confirmation of new aid packages from at least five countries“I’ve said this before: we’ve managed to normalize bilateral relations after the well-known difficulties. That is how it should be between strategic partners, because we must be able to share the joy of joint achievements, but also jointly overcome the difficulties that arise,” the Ukrainian minister stated.
As reported by Ukrinform, Sybiha participated in the Warsaw Security Forum on October 13.
Photo: Warsaw Security Forum
