Ukraine needs all the help it can get against Russia.
And there is one European country that has stepped up in a big way.
While major powers such as France, Germany, and Britain have been hesitant to send military
aid to Ukraine for various reasons, Poland has almost single-handedly led the rally for
Europe to support the war effort.
Without Poland, things may have turned out much differently after the first year of fighting
in Ukraine, and Vladamir Putin might be looking at victory rather than defeat.
The Ukrainian people have shown the world just how strong they are by repelling the
initial invasion of their country and pushing Russian forces out of much of their territory.
However, Russia still has an advantage.
This is not because Putin has the best equipment, skilled soldiers, or brilliant tactics; it’s
because the Russian military and population are massive.
Vladamir Putin will continue to hire mercenaries and throw conscripts at Ukraine until he can
wear them down.
The good news for Ukraine is that its greatest ally is right next door.
Poland might be Ukraine's best hope of winning the war.
Recently, the Polish government has increased military spending to strengthen its forces
and has been Ukraine’s biggest advocate since the war even began.
Poland has sent over 1.7 billion dollars worth of weapons and aid to Ukraine since Russia
invaded.
In fact, Poland is Ukraine’s second-largest weapons provider after the United States.
However, Ukraine’s neighbor has done much more than just delivering tanks, guns, and
ammunition.
Poland has forced other nations in Europe to send Ukraine help by leading by example.
When certain countries needed to be convinced that they should supply Ukraine with weapons
it desperately needed, Poland was the one who dragged them, kicking and screaming, to
do the right thing.
Ukraine needs Poland more than perhaps any other ally.
And as you’re about to find out, Poland might be the only thing keeping Ukraine from
succumbing to the seemingly endless onslaught of Russian soldiers that are being sent to
the front lines.
First, let’s look at the direct impact Poland has had on the war thus far.
It’s important to remember that Poland has had its fair share of disputes with Russia
in the past.
It wasn’t until the Soviet Union began to collapse that Poland was able to hold its
first free elections in 1990.
Up until that point, the Polish people were being oppressed by Moscow, which is something
they have not been quick to forget.
Poland is very aware that if Russia had been successful in taking Ukraine at the beginning
of the war, they could’ve been Putin’s next target.
This is why the Polish government was more than willing to send tanks, weapons, and aid
to Ukraine while simultaneously ramping up its own military spending.
The future of their nation depended on it.
Now that Ukraine has successfully repelled the initial invasion and is pushing Russia
further and further out of its territory, they need Poland more than ever.
It’s estimated that Poland has sent around 3 billion dollars in both military and humanitarian
aid to Ukraine.
Close to 1.8 billion of that has been military aid.
In fact, per capita, Poland has exceeded the amount of aid the United States has given
to Ukraine.
So, what types of weapons and vehicles has Poland been sending?
Well, if Poland can spare it, they’ve sent it to Ukraine.
It’s important to remember that Poland has its own interests at heart and knows that
the best way to defend its homeland at this moment is by making sure Russia doesn’t
succeed in taking Ukraine.
When the war started, Poland sent Ukraine over 200 T-72 tanks.
These are Soviet Era vehicles, but the Ukrainian military needed any tanks they could get their
hands on.
And as we’ve seen, they’ve made really good use of them.
There is little doubt that without the tanks sent by Poland in the early days of the war,
Ukraine would have had a much more difficult time launching counteroffensives as the war
progressed.
Tanks are offensive vehicles, and every tank that Poland has sent to their neighbor has
been vital in pushing Russian forces back.
Poland has supplemented the tanks they've sent with dozens of BWP-1 infantry fighting
vehicles and 122mm BM-21 Grad rocket launchers.
On top of armored vehicles, Poland sent a large amount of artillery to Ukraine, which
would be utilized to defend key positions.
The amount of artillery that has been used in the war thus far is staggering.
At the height of the conflict, Ukraine was firing up to 4,000 artillery shells a day,
while Russia is estimated to have fired close to 60,000 shells daily.
It’s no wonder why Poland had to send Ukraine self-propelled artillery and large amounts
of ammunition.
Ukraine has also been in desperate need of air defense.
It’s been reported that Poland has sent around 100 R-73 air-to-air missiles to help
Ukrainian aircraft defend their territory.
Another anti-air weapon that Poland has offered to Ukraine is the 160 PPZR Pioruns, a portable
air-defense system that is used to shoot down low-flying planes, helicopters, and UAVs.
Poland has also aided in Ukraine's reconnaissance efforts by sending drones such as the WB Electronics
FlyEyes to help scout areas and locate enemy troops.
On top of the vehicles, anti-air missiles, and artillery, Poland has also delivered an
unknown amount of guns, ammunition, and mortars to Ukraine.
Poland wants its neighbor to be able to defend itself, and the Polish government is not afraid
to continue sending money and any weapons it can spare.
But there’s also another vital role Poland plays in Ukraine’s acquisition of weapons.
The close proximity of Poland to the fighting has allowed it to act as a staging ground
for nations that wanted to send weapons and vehicles to Ukraine.
Much of the aid coming from across the world is funneled into Poland and then transferred
to the Ukrainian military.
Poland is also important because it’s where Ukrainian soldiers are being trained to use
new weapons and vehicles that are being sent by the West.
Most recently, reports have been coming out of Poland that Ukrainian troops are being
trained on German Leopard II tanks as they prepare to receive these vehicles in the coming
weeks and months.
It would be a disaster if the weapons reached the front lines and were useless because Ukrainian
soldiers didn’t know how to operate them.
This is just another reason why Poland is so vital to the Ukrainian war effort.
They have taken it upon themselves to ensure that when supplies and weapons reach the Ukrainian
military, they will have the training to effectively use the assets to decimate Russian forces.
However, perhaps the most important reason that Ukraine needs Poland in its fight against
Russia is not because of what it is sending but because of what it’s doing on the world
stage.
At the beginning of the war, NATO members were hesitant to send too much aid to Ukraine
out of fear that Russia might escalate things as a result.
As Ukraine continued to claim victories, the west became a little less hesitant.
Poland had advocated for European Powers and the U.S. to send more military aid to Ukraine
from day one.
In fact, Ukraine was practically shouting at the top of its lungs that a Russian invasion
of Ukraine was imminent, and yet their warnings seemed to fall on deaf ears.
The reason Ukraine needs Poland is that they have been their biggest advocate for a long
time now.
While other western countries dragged their feet, Poland sent supplies, weapons, and humanitarian
aid.
Poland's vital role in the fight against Russia never seems to end.
Even as the war progressed, Poland showed that it would continue to support Ukraine
until Russian forces were pushed out of its territory.
Poland became a leader and set an example for how other European countries should act.
This gave nations on the continent the courage to follow their example.
When certain countries still refused to send aid to Ukraine, Poland’s resolve led to
those nations being guilted into providing support that they should have sent a long
time ago.
Without Poland, there is a chance that the aid being sent to Ukraine would still not
be enough to adequately supply their troops.
It was Polish leaders, in particular, who convinced the German government to send modern
tanks like the Leopard II to Ukraine.
Germany was hesitant to commit their tanks to the war effort for far too long.
This was for several different reasons, but needless to say, it was Poland and its actions
that helped convince Germany to finally do what was right.
Even if Germany had gone the other way with their decision, Poland threatened to send
dozens of their own Leopard IIs in defiance.
Along with motivating other countries to send more military aid to Ukraine, Poland has also
been advocating for tougher sanctions on Russia to try and slow its wartime production.
The less money Russia has coming in, the better.
If Russia doesn’t have the funds to pay for its mercenaries, factories, and military,
it will have a much more difficult time launching an offensive or holding back Ukrainian forces
in the coming months.
Without the leadership of Poland throughout the war, Ukraine would be in a more precarious
position.
Poland has become a powerful voice in the conflict and a main advocate for Ukraine even
as Germany and other western powers drag their feet on sending aid and tightening sanctions.
But this is nothing new.
Ever since 2004, when Poland joined the European Union, it warned of the growing threat being
posed by Putin’s Russia.
The fact of the matter is, Poland has seen it all before.
They have dealt with the brutality of a Russian tyrant ruling their country.
Yet, these warnings were willfully ignored, and now Ukraine is paying dearly for it.
Currently, Poland is one of the countries leading the charge to send F-16 fighter jets
to Ukraine to help defend against Russian aircraft.
At the end of January, Poland even said they were willing to give the Ukrainian military
their F-16s just to provide them with more aerial support.
However, until NATO agrees to transfer F-16s to Ukraine, Poland cannot legally provide
them with the aircraft they desperately need.
Even though the jets are currently being held back, it seems that Poland will continue to
advocate and fight for sending the weapons and vehicles Ukraine requires to win the war.
But besides being Ukraine's biggest ally when it comes to gathering support, Poland is also
doing some other miraculous things to aid the Ukrainian people in their time of need.
Poland has accepted more refugees into their borders than any other European country.
It’s estimated that there may be as many as 3.5 million Ukrainian refugees in Poland.
At the very least, we know there are over 1.5 million registered refugees at this point
in time.
Poland has been leading humanitarian efforts to assist the people of Ukraine just like
it has led the charge to send more military aid.
The refugees in Poland are provided with healthcare, education, and possible employment, which
is amazing when you consider how much money and resources Poland has also sent to the
front lines.
Without Poland, the Ukrainian people would be suffering even more than they already are.
To be fair, Poland is one of the strongest, wealthiest, and closest countries to Ukraine’s
borders, but they have also gone above and beyond to help the Ukrainian people when it
seems like certain nations around the world are doing the bare minimum.
And the truth is, as much as Ukraine needs Poland, the rest of Europe needs them as well.
Since Poland joined NATO in 1999, it has become a key component in the defense of Europe’s
eastern borders.
Its strategic location is one of the main reasons it’s not only able to aid Ukraine
but protect the rest of Europe from Russian aggression if things get that far.
The nation has also enjoyed massive economic growth, allowing Poland to expand its military
while improving the lives of its citizens.
Without Poland's military and economic growth, Europe would have a lot more to worry about
on its eastern front.
Obviously, Poland isn’t the only deterrent against Russia invading the rest of Europe.
The United States' military strength and the number of nukes NATO has overall also plays
a role in keeping Russia, or any aggressor for that matter, from invading a nation that
is part of the NATO alliance.
So, although Poland plays a pivotal role in the protection of Europe, it’s by no means
the only defense Europe has against an invasion from the east.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Poland has enacted plans to increase its military spending to
around 3% of its GDP.
This means that Poland will be better equipped to protect itself, but it will also be better
equipped to aid its NATO allies.
And while its military is both vitally important for supporting Ukraine and the rest of Europe,
its politics are just as important for the future.
It’s alarming how close some European politicians have become with Moscow.
Leaders in both France and Germany have entered into trade deals, pipeline agreements, and
negotiated incentives with the brutal dictator of Russia in the past.
Sometimes this was done out of necessity, but other times agreements between European
politicians and Russina businessmen were done solely for lucrative purposes.
No one wants to admit that they’ve made deals with Vladamir Putin, yet this may explain
why certain governments have been so slow to provide aid to Ukraine and increase sanctions
on Russia.
Poland, on the other hand, has been outspoken about their disdain for the Russian government
and the dangers of entering into agreements with Putin from day one.
Some of the West listened to these warnings; some didn’t.
But it’s no surprise that when peace talks commenced after the 2014 invasion of Crimea
and Eastern Ukraine by Russia, Putin picked Germany and France to participate in the negotiation
process.
It’s interesting to note that this resulted in the failed Minsk Agreements that obviously
did nothing to stop the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February of 2022.
Ukraine and Poland both know what it was like being under the rule of Moscow during the
Soviet Era.
Although it's been over 30 years since the collapse of the Soviet Union, people who suffered
under the Soviet regime are still around to advocate against a Russian led eastern Europe.
This dark time is still ingrained in the collective consciousness of the Polish and Ukrainian
people, and if nothing else, Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine has brought these two nations
closer together.
Poland and Ukraine have had their disagreements in the past, but it has become clear since
the invasion that Poland is willing to do as much as it possibly can to help Ukraine
maintain its sovereignty.
However, Poland’s hands are tied in some aspects of what it can do because of its membership
in NATO.
If they weren’t bound by NATO doctrine, Poland might have gone much further to stop
the Russian onslaught happening to their neighbor.
For now, all Poland can do is continue to take in millions of refugees, send as much
aid as possible, and be a persistent advocate for Ukraine.
As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
And Russia is everyone’s enemy right now.
Recent polls have shown that the Ukrainian government thought of Poland as their closest
partner even before the war.
Now that Russia has invaded and Poland seems to be one of the main voices fighting to send
support to Ukraine, the nation will likely view Poland as its closest partner in the
years to come.
Without Poland, there is a very real possibility that Russia would be in a better position
than it is right now.
The Ukrainian military and people are definitely the heroes in this conflict, but without the
support of Poland and the numerous roles it’s playing in the conflict, it’s unclear if
Ukraine could have kept Russian forces from overwhelming them.
The weapons and aid that Poland has provided have been incredibly important to the war
effort.
However, its advocacy for Ukraine and the leadership role it assumed in European politics
may be even more vital.
It seems clear that as long as Russia continues to wage war, Poland will continue to support
Ukraine in any way it can.
And even after this conflict is over,it’s almost a guarantee that Poland will continue
to play a pivotal role in NATO’s defensive plans.
Poland’s economy and military strength have made the nation one of the most influential
in Europe, and without them, Ukraine would likely not be able to win the war against
Russia.
Now watch “Why Poland is Preparing for Full Scale War Against Russia.”
Or check out “Countries That Will Be Destroyed Because of World War 3.”