When the Law and Justice (PiS) government transferred tanks, armored personnel carriers, helicopters, and aircraft to Ukraine, it simultaneously replaced them with orders for new equipment from the United States or South Korea. Today, as we know, the situation on the market is such that no one will sell us missiles for Patriot launchers for the next 10 years, former Minister of National Defense Jan Parys said in an interview with Niezalezna.pl. He stressed that Ukraine should be supported, but “by using the resources of countries in the strategic rear.”
Opposition Demands Answers
Poland’s decision to transfer 30 PAC-3 missiles for the U.S.-made Patriot air defense system to Ukraine was made without the involvement of parliament or the president. It also emerged that one of the initiators of the proposal was German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.
Earlier unofficial reports were confirmed today by Donald Tusk, who also used the opportunity to issue a warning to opposition politicians.
“In recent hours and days, there has been a lot of discussion about the Patriot missiles that Poland transferred to Ukraine. I renew my appeal to everyone, starting with the president and extending to all politicians: do not play with fire,” the prime minister said.
He stressed that “Poland’s support for Ukraine in its war with Russia has been the subject of our national and political consensus.” He added:
“We can debate history and our mutual relations. We can discuss the extent to which we should help refugees and migrants here in Poland. But under no circumstances should we endanger our cooperation with Ukraine in defending itself against Russian aggression.”
The opposition is demanding explanations from the government. Presidential spokesman Rafał Leśkiewicz emphasized that the president has no influence over what the government transfers to Ukraine or under what procedure.
“I would like to know under what procedure the president is informed. Because I am not aware of any procedure under which the president is directly informed about specific donations to Ukraine,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mariusz Błaszczak stressed that PAC-3 missiles are “a key element of defending Polish airspace against ballistic missiles and other advanced threats.”
Acting Against Poland’s Interests
Speaking to Niezalezna.pl, former Defense Minister Jan Parys argued that Donald Tusk “has demonstrated hostility toward missile defense systems for more than a decade.”
“These weapons are designed to protect our territory, our society, and our defense potential from Russian missile strikes, including attacks launched with Iskander missile systems. The Patriot systems purchased by Law and Justice (PiS) were meant to protect Poland from destruction, prevent the killing of our citizens, and safeguard our military capabilities. Anyone who reduces the stockpile of Patriot missiles is weakening our ability to defend the country,” he said.
Parys emphasized that there is currently no way to replace the missiles transferred to Ukraine.
“They are an extremely scarce commodity, and no one will sell us these missiles for the next 10 years. Production in the United States is very limited. In my opinion, Donald Tusk and Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz acted very irresponsibly,” he added.
He continued:
“Destroying our military potential opens the way for the Russian army to march toward Berlin and Paris. In short, Prime Minister Tusk and Deputy Prime Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz acted not only against Poland’s interests, but also against the interests of NATO and all European Union member states.”
“Tusk Blocked the Missile Shield”
According to Parys, Ukraine “can and should be supported, but in a way that does not reduce deterrence on the front line.”
“The resources accumulated in the countries of the strategic rear – Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Spain – should be used for this purpose. That way, we do not undermine deterrence on the front line. What they have done is clearly detrimental to Europe’s defense against Russia,” he explained.
He added:
“This decision is therefore disgraceful, misguided, and demonstrates that they do not understand what Europe’s security is.”
Explaining what he meant by Donald Tusk’s opposition to missile defense systems, Parys argued that “it is the only type of weapon capable of stopping Russia’s westward advance.”
He recalled that in 2008 Donald Tusk opposed the construction of a U.S. missile defense installation in Poland.
“He did so solely because it was a project supported by Lech Kaczyński and then-Deputy Head of the National Security Bureau, Witold Waszczykowski. Now he has returned to his campaign against missile defense, which unfortunately is consistent with what he discussed during his visit to Moscow, when he consulted Vladimir Putin on whether Putin would allow the deployment of an American missile shield in Poland,” the former defense minister said.
“In Germany’s Interest”
Referring to reports suggesting that German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius influenced Poland’s decision to transfer PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine, Parys argued that the move would force Poland away from the American Patriot system and toward a future German alternative.
“Tusk’s almost hysterical pro-German attitude means that he wants to end Poland’s participation in the American missile defense system and shift us toward a German system that currently exists only on the drawing board,” he said.
He concluded:
“Ukraine must be supported by using the resources of countries in the strategic rear, but this is precisely what Tusk fails to understand. It turns out that German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has a decisive influence over Tusk’s decisions, rather than Poland’s national interest.”
Parys recalled that when the Law and Justice (PiS) government transferred tanks, armored personnel carriers, helicopters, and aircraft to Ukraine, “it simultaneously replaced them with orders for new equipment from the United States or South Korea.”
“Today, as we know, the market situation is such that no one will sell us missiles for Patriot launchers for the next 10 years. That means what we have given away cannot be replaced. This is the fundamental difference between what Law and Justice (PiS) did and what Tusk is doing. PiS was able to help Ukraine while replacing the donated equipment. Tusk gives it away, and we are left empty-handed,” the former defense minister concluded.