By Natalya Voznyak | 2025-03-24

WARSAW -- In the fourth year of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Poland remains Ukraine's steadfast ally. It continues to assist Kyiv diplomatically and provides military and humanitarian support that draws on both the state and ordinary Poles.

State assistance

Poland has begun delivering its 46th aid package to Ukraine and is preparing the 47th, according to remarks by Polish Deputy Defense Minister Pawel Zalewski during a visit to Kyiv on March 7.

The 46th package is mainly ammunition, he said.

"The value of this package is about €230 million to €240 million. The next package will also consist of munitions," Zalewski said, adding that Poland knows exactly what Ukraine needs and precisely what it lacks for its protection.

As a percentage of GDP, Poland's assistance ranks first among all countries that have provided support to Ukraine, according to a report published at the end of February on Polish President Andrzej Duda's website.

In total, Poland has provided 15 billion PLN (€3.6 billion) in military assistance to Ukraine, according to the report.

"We have supplied the largest amount of heavy equipment of all the allies, comprising approximately one thousand pieces in total (including tanks, armored personnel carriers, etc.)," it adds.

"Of the almost 800 tanks that Ukraine received, more than 350 were made available by Poland. This figure exceeds the total amount transferred by the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Spain."

Poland bolstered the Ukrainian air force with 14 MiG-29 aircraft -- more than any other country -- and 12 Mi-24 helicopters -- second only to the United States, according to the report.

Supporting Ukraine is an investment in Poland's security, contends the Polish government.

Speaking in parliament March 7, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk shared information about the international and Polish security situation, noting the need for further support for Ukraine.

"If Ukraine survives and retains its status as a sovereign, fully independent, pro-Western state, then the result of this struggle will be significantly greater security for Poland and Europe," said Tusk.

"If Ukraine loses the war, or if it accepts the terms of peace, armistice or capitulation in such a way that weakens its sovereignty and makes it easier for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin to gain control of Ukraine, then ...Poland would find itself in a more difficult geopolitical situation."

Helping Ukraine is 'cheaper'

Supporting Ukraine is in Poland's interest, and the specific motives -- whether solidarity with Ukraine or fear for one's own safety -- are not important, said Daniel Szeligowski, director of the Eastern Europe Program at the Polish Institute of International Affairs.

Even though public skepticism toward support for Ukraine has increased slightly -- which is normal -- Poland continues to consistently provide military and political assistance and is committed to long-term support for Ukraine, he said.

"Helping Ukraine is much cheaper than if we had to fight a war here in the future. If Ukraine had lost, the required spending on the Polish army would have been significantly higher," Szeligowski told Kontur.

The IBRiS research agency conducted a survey March 3-5 for More in Common, an international organization that works to counteract polarization.

According to the survey results, which were published by Rzeczpospolita, 65% of Poles say that Poland and other European countries should continue to support Ukraine in its war.

"Poland still has ally obligations within NATO, including assistance to the Baltic countries in the event of possible Russian aggression. This is the security of the entire Eastern flank," said Szeligowski.

"So unfortunately, from the Polish point of view, it is necessary to balance between these two goals here."

Private initiatives

In addition to government programs that support Ukraine, ordinary Poles have not grown tired of continuing their own private social initiatives aimed at helping Ukraine fight the aggressor.

On March 10, Polish journalist and sociologist Slawomir Sierakowski together with American historian Timothy Snyder launched a fundraiser on a Polish platform (Zrzutka.pl) to raise $300,000 (€276,800) for buying an armored medical evacuation vehicle for Ukraine.

Donors contributed the required amount in less than a day and a half. The fundraising duo continued their project, to buy even more of the vehicles.

"I didn't expect such energy. I feel like the sun has risen again over Polish-Ukrainian relations. The pace of the fundraising shows that the silent pro-Ukrainian majority in Poland has responded, understands the situation, does not want Ukraine to be defeated and wants to save the lives of Ukrainians," said Sierakowski.

"The people shouting that Poles are skeptical about Ukraine are a minority but sometimes a loud one."

This is not Sierakowski's first fundraising project. In the summer of 2022, he collected about 25 million PLN (€6 million) to buy a Bayraktar drone for Ukraine.

Upon learning about the Poles' act of solidarity, Baykar Defense donated a Bayraktar free of charge. The fundraisers transferred the money that they had received to other military and humanitarian needs.

'Significant help'

Ukrainian refugees are still being cared for by dozens of Polish NGOs, particularly the Uniters Foundation -– one of Poland's largest volunteer organizations.

For three years now, the foundation has been distributing bread and other food to needy Ukrainians in downtown Warsaw.

The Putka bakery chain provides baked goods for refugees: freshly made items that did not sell in a day. The foundation also receives various groceries nearing their expiration date from a food bank.

"Every day, five times a week, several hundred people come to us to get bread, yogurt, kasha or vegetables. They are mainly persons with disabilities, retirees and mothers with many children. For them, this is a significant help and a way to trim their modest budgets," Uniters Foundation founder Halyna Andrushkov told Kontur.

"We are grateful to the Poles who are not war weary and continue to help, and to the bakery chain and the drivers who come to us after work to volunteer -- after shops close, they bring bread to the foundation."