Opposition representatives have accused the Defence Ministry for acting against the Polish raison d’état after Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak told Germany it should send its Patriot anti-aircraft systems to Ukraine instead.
After a rocket fell on a village on the Polish side of the Polish-Ukrainian border on 15 November, Germany offered to provide Poland with its Patriot anti-aircraft systems and Eurofighter aircraft for airspace patrolling. Initially, the Polish Defence Ministry approved of the idea.
However, Blaszczak’s opinion of German patriots in Poland quickly changed, and the minister began talks with the German side regarding the transfer of the defensive systems to Ukraine and deploying them close to the Polish border.
Germany cannot do this because the transfer of Patriots to non-NATO allies requires additional talks with members of the alliance.
The Defence Ministry’s change of attitude has been loudly criticised by opposition representatives, accusing Blaszczak of acting against the Polish raison d’état.
“Today, there is a great mass of German limousines in front of the Parliament; you buy them in bulk because it concerns your comfort and your security. When matters concern the safety of Poles, you are remarkably inept, why? Minister Błaszczak, it’s time to find out why you are acting against Polish security,” the liberal Civic Coalition (KO) MP Marcin Kierwiński asked the defence minister during a parliamentary session.
“Accepting the Patriots is the Polish raison d’état; it is a responsibility for the Polish sky, and not accepting them is a responsibility for every citizen who may be hurt in the same way as it happened in the Hrubieszów district [where the missiles fell]. Accept the Patriots and stop doing politics on Polish defence,” New Left MP Krzysztof Gawkowski said in turn.
“The deployment of Patriots in Ukraine is the most effective, from a military point of view, shielding our country,” Blaszczak retorted.
Morawiecki said on Monday that Poland would consider accepting German Patriot systems if Germany does not hand them over to Ukraine, but “we point out that, after all, no one wants to acquire equipment just for the sake of it just standing there.”
The German military offer still stands, despite the political row.
(Bartosz Sieniawski | EURACTIV.pl)
Source: euractiv.com
