Poland joins anti-ballistic missile coalition with Ukraine

Poland has joined an anti-ballistic missile ​coalition with Ukraine and ​other allies, Prime ‌Minister Donald Tusk ​said on Friday. "From today, Poland is part of this major project ... we agreed on ‌the forms and frameworks of this cooperation," Tusk said in a video posted on X.

Tusk attended a summit on Friday of a ‌new regional grouping of eight Carpathian countries, held in western ‌Ukraine and launched by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Ukraine and nine European countries announced in July an air-defence coalition that would include jointly developing a new anti-ballistic missile ⁠system ​as an ⁠alternative and cheaper solution to the US Patriot system.

Tusk told a press conference at ⁠the summit that Poland has prepared a new "significant" donation package for Ukraine, without ​giving further detail. "I will be very consistent here. No ⁠one will change my opinion that Poland has to support Ukraine in its ⁠war ​against Russian aggression ... History cannot divide us vis-a-vis Russia today," Tusk said.

After his bilateral meeting with Tusk at the summit, Zelenskiy ⁠thanked Poland for the new aid package. "Ukraine and Poland are strong ⁠neighbors, friends, ⁠and partners, and we have one common enemy," he said on the Telegram app.