Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki attend the official transfer of Polish Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine in an undisclosed location in Ukraine on February 24, 2023. Krystian Maj/Chancellery of Prime Minister of Poland/Handout via REUTERS
WARSAW — Poland has delivered four Leopard tanks to Ukraine already and is prepared to deliver more quickly, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said Friday, as Western nations increase their support to Kyiv a year after Russia invaded the country.
“Poland and Europe stand by your side. We will definitely not leave you, we will support Ukraine until complete victory over Russia,” Morawiecki said during a visit to Kyiv, standing next to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
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Warsaw’s commitment to its neighbor has been instrumental in persuading European allies to donate heavy weapons to Ukraine, including tanks, a move opposed by several governments, including Berlin, until recently.
Poland said last month it aimed to get training time for Ukrainian soldiers on Leopard 2 tanks down to five weeks.
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Morawiecki also called for a stronger new package of European Union sanctions against Russia. The bloc is currently discussing a 10th round of sanctions.
“As for the 10th sanction package, we are not happy because it is too soft, too weak … I am in contact with our team and we are pushing our allies to make this package as extensive as possible,” he said.
READ: Poland has delivered tanks to Ukraine, says Polish PM