Defence Minister: Poland will not send lethal weapons to Ukraine, little optimism over talks

WARSAW, Poland – Defence Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said Tuesday that Poland will not send lethal weapons to Ukraine but said there was little optimism in the West about the outcome of peace negotiations given Russia’s “low credibility.”

A round of peace talks was scheduled on Wednesday, involving leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France.

He said on Polish Radio 1 that the first step should be a ceasefire, “and then we can talk.”

In interviews for Polish media Siemoniak, a deputy prime minister, said that Poland has supplied the military in neighbouring Ukraine with some 17 million zlotys (4 million euros, $4.6 million) worth of food, clothing and blankets and was preparing another such shipment.

He reiterated that there were no obstacles to commercial deals involving armaments.

But he told Gazeta Wyborcza daily that sending heavy weaponry was “out of the question,” and he refuted speculation in Polish media that the government of Poland could offer Ukraine anti-aircraft Grom missiles or T-72 tanks.

“I want it to be clear. It is out of the question to send heavy weaponry to Ukraine, or Grom missiles, tanks or similar weaponry. Poland did not have and has no such plans,” Siemoniak said.