ISTANBUL
Poland’s Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz has said that Warsaw must continue accelerating its military modernization “regardless of what happens” in ongoing negotiations aimed at ending Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Speaking after weekend talks in Geneva between Ukrainian, US and European officials on a proposed American peace framework, Kosiniak-Kamysz warned that any diplomatic momentum should not slow Poland’s defense preparations, TVP World reported on Tuesday.
“We must arm ourselves anyway… I believe that acceleration will be necessary… even more, even sooner,” he said.
His remarks came as Poland remains one of NATO’s highest defense spenders, investing heavily in new equipment and expanding the size of its armed forces amid heightened regional security concerns.
He described recent comments by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who held talks in Geneva with Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to the Ukrainian president, as “a much more positive signal than the reports regarding the peace plan itself.”
Rubio had called his meeting with Yermak “the most productive and meaningful” to date, saying the delegations made “good progress.”
After the talks, Kyiv and Washington announced they had drafted a “refined peace framework,” stressing that any settlement “must fully uphold Ukraine’s sovereignty and deliver a sustainable and just peace.”
However, Kosiniak-Kamysz underlined that Poland cannot assume any imminent breakthrough.
“Whatever the outcome, we must continue strengthening our defense,” he said.