Reports that Poland transferred missiles for Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine have sparked a political storm. As the opposition demands explanations from the government, presidential spokesperson Rafał Leśkiewicz has weighed in. In his view, the government’s announcement that it plans to declassify information about aid to Ukraine is intended to divert public attention from the problems facing the current ruling coalition.
The information was first reported by reserve Colonel Piotr Lewandowski on the Open Channel (Kanał Otwarty). “Poland has transferred missiles for Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine. Poland also handed over some Patriot missiles, which are extremely valuable to us and certainly not cheap,” the military officer said.
The missiles in question are PAC-3 MSE interceptors. The issue quickly drew the attention of opposition politicians, including former Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak and Deputy Speaker of the Sejm Krzysztof Bosak. The matter has also been widely discussed in both the public sphere and the media.
Leśkiewicz: This Is a Diversion
In the wake of the scandal surrounding South Hospital, Donald Tusk’s government is attempting to shift the narrative by calling for the declassification of information regarding military aid provided to Ukraine between 2022 and 2026. President Karol Nawrocki’s spokesperson, Rafał Leśkiewicz, commented on the issue today.
“This is not a good decision [regarding the declassification of all aid provided to Ukraine between 2022 and 2026]. This information is classified and should not be disclosed to the public. It is a diversion,” he said.
“The Ministry of National Defence, Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz, and in reality Prime Minister Donald Tusk, seeing what is happening within the coalition and the successive scandals being uncovered by journalists, decided to seize the moment and attempt to obscure the issue with a substitute topic… related to aid for Ukraine,” he added.
He continued: “This entire controversy has been created solely so that, for the next several days, the public will focus on how much assistance and what kind of aid we have provided to Ukraine since the outbreak of the war… Therefore, it is a diversion, but the action announced yesterday by Prime Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz is highly irresponsible.”
He also added: “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 the transfer of any specific aid to Ukraine.”
“It is the government that is responsible for transferring equipment to Ukraine and for providing military aid, not the President. The President has no influence over what equipment the government transfers to Ukraine, under what procedure, on what timeline, or in what quantities. Therefore, it is not the President who makes these decisions – it is the government,” stressed President Nawrocki’s spokesperson.
In his assessment, “the government itself should take responsibility. If it transferred the equipment, and if the recent reports about the transfer of missiles for Patriot batteries are true, then the government should explain the matter itself, rather than dragging the President into an issue that has nothing to do with him.”