Polish president slams Ukraine, NATO allies for 'ignoring' Poland's contribution

Polish President Andrzej Duda criticized Ukraine and its Western allies for allegedly taking Poland's contribution to the war effort for granted, warning that Warsaw will not tolerate being sidelined in international decision-making.

Duda said both Ukrainian and Western officials have come to treat key Polish logistics infrastructure, particularly Rzeszow airport and national highways, as if they were their own, a Polish news agency, Onet, reported on Wednesday.

“For example, I believe that both Ukrainians and our allies simply believe that the Rzeszow airport and our highways are theirs, excuse me, as if they were theirs. Well, it's not theirs, it's ours,” Duda said.

“If someone doesn't like something, we close it down and say goodbye. Yes, we're renovating it. We close the Rzeszow airport and deliver aid to Ukraine by sea, by air, I don't know, parachute it in. Figure it out if you don't think you need us.”

Duda argued that Poland's extensive support for Ukraine since the start of Russia's war has often gone underappreciated or even ignored.

He warned that Poland could use its strategic role in military logistics as leverage in future negotiations.

“I believe there were issues where we could have made it a little clear that we cannot be bypassed or ignored. And we didn't do that. And that was a mistake,” he said, adding that Poland has the right to expect due recognition and respect from its allies.

He said the issue was not just with Kyiv but also with major Western capitals.

“This isn't about talks with Ukraine. We need to discuss this with our allies—Germany, the Americans,” he stressed.

He cited the 2023 NATO summit in Vilnius, where he reportedly blocked a section of the summit's conclusions that failed to mention Poland.

“I thought it was a scandal,” Duda said, adding that it took more than a year to amend the document.

Duda also defended the political value of his personal relations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying they had brought “certain political and image benefits for Poland” that were “noticed and appreciated by public opinion around the world.”

However, he reiterated that Poland must take a firmer stance to ensure its national interests are not overlooked in the evolving security architecture surrounding the Ukraine war.