In Poland, it was admitted that the funds of the Czech Republic for the purchase of ammunition for the Armed Forces of Ukraine have not yet been transferred.
During a press conference in Kyiv with his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiga, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorskyi explained the reason for this delay. According to him, Poland is one of the few countries that have not yet fulfilled their financial obligations within the framework of the Czech initiative due to the arrest of the official responsible for the transfer of funds.
We are talking about Michał Kuchmerowski, the former head of the Government Agency of Strategic Reserves of Poland, who was arrested in London on a Polish warrant in connection with allegations of corruption.
Sikorsky assured that Poland will definitely allocate 100 million euros for the purchase of ammunition for Ukraine. The first 50 million euros will be transferred already this year, and the rest – in the next.
Regarding the Czech initiative to supply ammunition to the Armed Forces, the Czechoslovak Group company, which is participating in the process, recently reported that part of the ammunition for Ukraine is being supplied from Turkey. However, as NZZ reports, the Czech Republic is forced to lower its ambitions due to a lack of funding from partner countries. If these countries do not increase their contributions, the supply of shells to Ukraine may be reduced by a third.
At the same time, according to Gazeta Wyborza, as of August, 18 countries have joined the search for ammunition for Ukraine outside the European Union. The largest and most active donor is Germany, while Poland, although publicly supporting the initiative, has not yet made any financial contribution.
