The United States will remain the main arms supplier for Poland and most European countries, with the possible exception of France, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told international journalists in Warsaw on 9 June.
According to Sikorski, contracts worth about $50 billion to supply US weapons to Poland are now underway.
“These are Abrams tanks, these are HIMARS, we used to buy JASSM, we have 48 F-16 fighter jets, the first Polish F-35 is already flying. We even buy these aerostatic observation balloons – a good idea by the way,” the Polish minister said, noting that the US remains the main supplier of defence equipment for Poland.
At the same time, the minister emphasised that his country not only buys but also actively produces weapons. In particular, Polish self-propelled Krab howitzers.
“I travelled to the front (in Ukraine – ed.), in particular to the 26th brigade near Bakhmut. And they were shelling the Russians with American Excalibur shells, using Polish Krab self-propelled howitzers. The Ukrainians liked this combination very much,” Sikorski said.
The Polish minister explained that with the increase in defence budgets, EU countries will produce more European weapons, as Europe needs to develop its own defence industry:
“We cannot import everything from the US. We have to produce our own armaments, and above all, our own ammunition.”
He said the United States is actually encouraging Europe to strengthen its own defence capabilities by concentrating some of its efforts in the Pacific: “we have until the end of the decade to step up and be able to deter Russia on our own”.
United States Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker stated on 4 June that the Trump administration has not yet made decisions on future assistance to Ukraine, as it remains “focused on preserving President Trump’s ability to end hostilities.”