Poland has joined an anti-ballistic missile coalition with Ukraine and other allies, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Friday, as Kyiv seeks to strengthen its air defences against Russian attacks.“From today, Poland is part of this major project … we agreed on the forms and frameworks of this cooperation,” Tusk said in a video posted on X.Tusk made the announcement during a summit of eight Carpathian countries being held in western Ukraine and launched by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Poland backs joint missile defence project
Ukraine and nine European countries announced an air-defence coalition in July that would include the joint development of a new anti-ballistic missile system. The proposed system is intended to provide an alternative and cheaper solution to the US Patriot system.Tusk also said Poland had prepared a new “significant” donation package for Ukraine, although he did not provide details.“I will be very consistent here. No one will change my opinion that Poland has to support Ukraine in its war against Russian aggression … History cannot divide us vis-a-vis Russia today,” Tusk said.Following a bilateral meeting with Tusk at the summit, Zelenskyy thanked Poland for the new aid package.“Ukraine and Poland are strong neighbors, friends, and partners, and we have one common enemy,” he said on social media.
Carpathian summit focuses on security, cooperation
The announcement came during the first Carpathian Summit in western Ukraine, which brought together Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary, with the European Union also involved.Zelenskyy said the meeting would focus on security, energy, logistics, cross-border economic ties and support for local communities.Business representatives were also expected to participate in discussions on economic cooperation, security and logistics, as Russia targets Ukraine’s transport routes, according to news agency AFP.“The Carpathian macro-region has become one of the most reliable foundations of our defense. This is about strength that exists and will continue to exist,” Zelenskyy said.The summit comes as Ukraine seeks additional missile defence systems to counter Russian ballistic attacks, while also developing interceptors to tackle Russian jet-powered drones.Tusk had said before travelling to Ukraine that “Difficult weeks and months lie ahead for all of us, not just Ukraine. And it’s worth showing solidarity at a time like this.”The meeting was held in the western Ukrainian ski resort of Bukovel amid growing concern among European countries over Russian hybrid threats, including sabotage, cyberattacks, disinformation and potential drone incursions into Nato territory.