Polish Defence Minister: European arms industry must switch to war mode

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, spoke on Friday at the European Forum for New Ideas in Sopot. The head of the Ministry of National Defence (MON) began his speech by outlining the situation in the east. As the minister confirmed, a multi-hour Russian attack on Ukraine took place overnight. In the west of the country alone, 34 of the enemy’s jet drones were destroyed. According to the minister, Russia is employing new guidance technologies in them. The overnight strikes also took place near the Polish border, where a locomotive with wagons full of petrol was hit.

Aid for Ukraine

In the view of Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Poland should not limit its aid to Ukraine. “Why should we help? For two reasons. The first is typically human, humanitarian, Christian. (…) The second, more pragmatic: it is in our interest that bombs do not fall on Polish territory,” said the head of MON.

Referring to the recent transfer of missiles for Patriot batteries to Ukraine, the minister emphasised that he prefers “missiles not to lie in a warehouse, but to shoot down projectiles,” which reduces the risk of an attack on the territory of the Republic of Poland. “We will continue to support Ukraine; there will be further donations,” he announced, noting that all deliveries are thoroughly analysed in terms of Poland’s security and coordinated with the Polish Armed Forces.

"I would rather repay a loan than have someone pay with their blood"

Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz also addressed the economic situation in Ukraine and the impact of the war on the situation in Poland. “Ukraine is ruined. It is defending itself bravely and heroically, but it is ruined. (…) We are currently observing the collapse of its economy in many sectors. While new technologies are developing, this will not compensate for the loss that follows the destruction of the economy. Every war destroys the economy, it destroys the community,” he said.

According to the head of MON, the situation of our eastern neighbours clearly shows that war on Polish territory must be prevented at all costs – even at the expense of significant debt. “Every investment in security is intended to ensure that we do not have to rebuild the economy from ruins. I would rather incur obligations and take out loans today than have someone pay with their blood in a few years,” the minister explained.

Transition to war mode

At the end of his speech, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz returned to an announcement from a few days ago regarding a “small strategic review.” “We will conduct a small strategic review to identify the most urgent needs. This will allow us to single out even those already concluded contracts that can be postponed. We want a clear answer from the commanders and the army as to what equipment they truly need – and we will take full responsibility for achieving this goal,” he said, adding that he is committed to accelerating the production of military equipment in Poland.

“The defence industry in Poland and Europe should be operating in war mode today. The Polish Armaments Group has been instructed to utilise all production capacities. (…) What we are fighting against today is delivery time,” he added. On this occasion, the minister stated that the Polish Armed Forces currently number 225,000 soldiers.