Dispute has arisen in Poland between government and president over transfer of Patriot missiles to Ukraine
A public dispute is ongoing in Poland between President Karol Nawrocki and the government over the transfer of PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine for use with the Patriot air defence systems. Government officials have exchanged mutual accusations regarding who made this decision and who bears responsibility for it.
According to Censor.NET, Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, wrote on social media platform X that the President’s inner circle is spreading false information, claiming that Karol Nawrocki was unaware of the transfer of missiles to Ukraine.
According to the minister, this issue was discussed on 10 and 17 February, as well as on 24 March, at meetings of the Council of Ministers’ Security Committee attended by a representative of the Presidential National Security Bureau. In addition, Zbigniew Bogucki, the Head of the President’s Office, was briefed on the matter, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte discussed the issue personally with Nawrocki.
"The president’s entourage is lying when they claim that President Nawrocki was unaware of the equipment being transferred to Ukraine," wrote Kosiniak-Kamysz.
The President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, also responded on social media platform X. He stated that discussing various issues with members of the government or the NATO Secretary-General does not imply agreement on specific decisions.
"The decision to hand over the weapons was taken by Kosiniak-Kamysz, and he must take full responsibility for it," wrote Nawrocki.
At the same time, the president stated that he might put forward a legislative proposal that would make him personally accountable for decisions regarding the transfer of military equipment to Ukraine.
In response, Kosiniak-Kamysz emphasised that responsibility for modernising the Polish army and transferring weapons to allies lies with the government. At the same time, he stated that the President is always kept informed of such decisions, and that representatives of his office should not mislead the public.
Separately, Marcin Przydacz, head of the International Policy Bureau at the President’s Office, told journalists ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara that the decision to transfer Patriot missiles to Ukraine had been taken solely by the Council of Ministers, without consultation with the President or the National Security Bureau. According to him, this decision "did not contribute to Poland’s security", and the Polish public is outraged both by the very fact of the transfer of the missiles and by the attempt to conceal it from the public and parliament.
