On Thursday, Poland joined calls to allow Ukraine to use Western missiles to strike Russian territory as it hosted US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in Warsaw. Kyiv has long insisted that the Biden administration and other Western governments approve the use of long-range strikes, which the Ukrainian side says will help counter Russia's incessant air attacks. This was reported by Reuters, according to UNN.
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“We must continue to supply Ukraine with modern air defense systems... and lift restrictions on the use of long-range weapons,” Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said at a joint press conference with Blinken.
At the end of his visit to Europe, Blinken said he had had extensive discussions with Ukrainian officials in Kyiv about how they saw the war developing and what their needs were, but declined to specify whether Washington was ready to approve such strikes.
“What we have learned from our Ukrainian partners will form the basis for discussions with other allies and partners in the coming days and weeks as we work and reflect on the months ahead,” Blinken said. He also noted that it was appropriate to start such discussions in Poland, emphasizing its strong support for Ukraine.
Russia has warned that any decision to allow Ukraine to strike its territory with Western missiles could exacerbate what it calls the direct involvement of the United States and Europe in the war and provoke a response from Moscow.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has made defense a priority for eastern NATO members, and Poland is seeking to strengthen its borders with Belarus and Russia. Relations between Poland and Russia deteriorated sharply after Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops to Ukraine on February 24, 2022. In response, Warsaw has increased defense spending, expecting record spending in 2025 - 186.6 billion zlotys (47.95 billion USD).
Blinken praised the increase, calling it the “gold standard” for NATO members. During his visit, he met with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, President Andrzej Duda, and Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski.
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