2023-01-22 10:25 update: 2023-01-24, 19:51
Mateusz Morawiecki. Photo PAP/Radek Pietruszka
Poland's prime minister has told PAP if Germany does not consent to the transfer to Ukraine of Leopard 2 tanks, Poland will build a "smaller coalition" of coutries ready to send tanks and other equipment.
Mateusz Morawiecki said that Poland would not look on passively while Ukraine bleeds and that Ukraine and Europe would win the war with Germany or without.
Commenting on a meeting of the Ukraine Contact Group at the Ramstein air base in Germany on Friday and its failure to reach a decision on the transfer of Leopard 2s, Morawiecki called Germany's position as "unacceptable."
"Almost a year had passed since the outbreak of war... Evidence of the Russian army's war crimes can be seen on television and on YouTube. What more does Germany need to open its eyes and start to act in line with the potential of the German state?" Morawiecki asked.
He also said Germany did not have to activate all its resources as just a small percentage would be progress. "Above all, Berlin should not weaken or sabotage the activities of other countries," he said.
The prime minister added that Poland and Poles had done a great deal to help Ukraine, in terms of military support and aid for refugees as well as diplomatic efforts. He said Poland worked closely with the USA and had built a coalition of European states to support Ukraine, but when things had started to go better in terms of heavy arms for Ukraine, "Germany steps in a raises doubts."
"The enemy is in the East and we're wasting time on discussions that yield nothing good," he said.
Morawiecki said Germany had fallen into a trap of its own making through a years-long policy of seeking closer ties with Moscow. "They hoped they would tame the Russian bear with generous contracts," he said, adding that the policy had failed and "to this day it has been hard for Germany to admit the error."
He said he had appealed unceasingly to Chancellor Olaf Scholz to take decisive action as Germay is a powerful country both economically and militarily.
"I try to weigh my words, but I'll say it bluntly. Ukraine and Europe will win this war - with or without Germany," Morawiecki said, adding that it was up to Berlin whether to join the mission of halting Russian barbarity or to look on passively, condemning themselves to being on the wrong side of history. (PAP)
