Poland and Ukraine have signed a declaration of intent to jointly produce weapons and ammunition. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced the move at a joint news conference in Kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday, February 5.
“We signed a declaration of intent, and this is not just intent. This is a move toward practical cooperation. That has been our goal for months,” Tusk said. “We discussed this and worked hard to make joint production of defense products at facilities both in Poland and in Ukraine a reality, removing barriers that made technology exchange impossible or complicated it.”
For his part, Zelensky said Ukraine and Poland plan to jointly produce “drones and other weapons.” He added that Ukraine, now in its fourth year of countering Russia’s full-scale invasion, “has the most expertise in what weapons actually work in modern warfare.”
Tusk said Poland is prepared to transfer its MiG-29 fighter jets to Kyiv in exchange for drone technologies. “I know Ukraine needs air defenses of various types, including certain kinds of missiles.” “We can’t help with everything, but if MiGs are needed, Poland is ready to hand them over immediately,” he stressed.
“We’re talking about Ukrainian drones because we want to build an effective defense against UAVs in Poland,” he explained. Tusk said he wasn’t ready to say whether Warsaw could provide other, more urgently needed air-defense equipment instead of aircraft. “But immediately after returning to Poland, I will speak with the defense minister and, no later than Monday (February 9), I will let President Zelensky know what’s possible,” he promised.
Tusk said Warsaw is working on additional weapons deliveries to support Ukraine’s defensive war against Russia. The next, 48th, aid package from Poland is expected to be worth roughly €47 million and will consist mainly of armored vehicles, he noted.
In December, Poland’s General Staff said it was in talks with Kyiv on a possible transfer of MiG-29 fighter jets in exchange for access to technologies for producing drones and missiles. It emphasized that no final decision had been made and that any transfer would be part of “NATO’s policy of supporting Ukraine and ensuring the security of the Alliance’s eastern flank.”
Another topic of Tusk and Zelensky’s February 5 talks in Kyiv was energy cooperation, including development of the energy grid in both countries, Zelensky said.
He added that Ukraine and Poland are also working to increase liquefied natural gas supplies. Zelensky thanked Poland for delivering energy equipment, especially generators.
