Poland to charge EU over €2 Billion for sending military aid to Ukraine

Poland has delivered over €2.3 billion worth of weapons and military equipment to war-stricken Ukraine over the past year. According to Sputnik, the European country now stands at the third spot in the overall arms aid behind the United States and the United Kingdom. After helping Ukraine to such an extent reports are emerging that Warsaw is looking to recover some of the amount to support the country’s re-armament. As per the report by Sputnik, Poland has billed the European Union for most of the military weaponry it has transferred to Ukraine. The move was confirmed by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

"We have issued invoices for €2 billion euros, and this is very good news for Poland, for the Polish budget – very good news which I bring back to Poland from the European Council summit," Morawiecki said in an interview with a Polish news outlet on Saturday. “€2 billion is, if you round it up, nearly 10 billion Polish zlotys. With this money, we can buy state-of-the-art equipment,” the Polish premier added. The Polish Prime Minister also mentioned that Warsaw is eying to bill Brussels for the 14 leopard tanks and 2 main battle tanks which Poland agreed to send to Ukraine amid the ongoing war. 

Poland to double the size of its army

The news of Poland billing the EU came after the country announced its plan to double the size of its army in 2021. The escalation of the Russia-Ukraine war which started in 2022 has made Warsaw more anxious about its border. In the midst of the war, the country decided to increase its defence spending to 4% of the GDP. This rise will mark the country allocating the highest percentage in terms within the NATO alliance. While Poland is asking for the contribution it made to support Ukraine, it was also the country which attacked Germany for being hesitant to send battle tanks to Ukraine. "They were not as generous as they should have been... I still encourage them to be so," Morawiecki asserted earlier as per the report by Sputnik. 

In the Saturday interview, the Polish Prime Minister also stated that western support for Ukraine has hit “political fatigue” and a lack of resources. “Today, there is much less willingness and appetite for further sanctions. I think there is fatigue,” the prime minister said. However, the Prime Minister expressed his optimism over the fact that the West will continue to support Ukraine in the war. Earlier this week, the President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel, also touched upon the issue of war fatigue. He stated that it is “virtually impossible” for the Europeans alone to maintain the current level of support for Ukraine.