Polish ambassador asks for more help for country after Ukraine war – National

Poland’s ambassador to Canada has offered aid to countries closest to the war as an investigation continues into how two Poles died in an explosion near the country’s border with Ukraine on Tuesday. It urges the international community to consider deepening the

Witold Jelski, who headed the Polish president’s international policy before arriving in Ottawa earlier this year, said his belief in Poland and its NATO military allies was that the apparent missile strike was “unintentional.”

The leading theory is that the cause was a Ukrainian defense missile that was hit in a barrage of missile attacks from Russia, but the Ukrainian president disputes that suggestion.

Still, Zhiersky said, “If it weren’t for the fact that Russia invaded Ukraine, this event wouldn’t have happened.”

The effects of the war have had a severe impact on Poland, which has hosted about seven million refugees, many of whom are still in the country. said Dzielski.

While Canada’s assistance to Ukraine so far has been “very much appreciated”, Poland hopes its allies will consider helping neighboring countries they are jeopardizing to help.

“From the beginning we are very much working to make sure everyone is able to provide support. And at the same time we are putting ourselves at risk….Poland believes this is the right thing to do.” Stated.

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“This is what Poland and the countries in our region were not prepared for. And it creates very serious budgetary risks. I have.”

The death of a Polish citizen near the Ukrainian border on Tuesday put the country at war with its neighbors at risk. When the international community reacted in shock and braced for a possible escalation in conflict, Polish authorities went berserk, Jelski explained.

Immediately, certain military units were put on high alert and an investigation was launched, he said. President Andrzej Duda spoke by phone with partners around the world, and conversations continued below the ministerial level.

This included a phone call between Duda and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday, Dielski said. He said he could not provide details, but general messages from the conversation were that “Canada stands by Poland” and “Canadian people are ready to provide the help they need.” said.

Building on that and other calls among leaders, he said that while there is broad agreement that “possible decisions need to be made in a sensible way”, “this is the situation that is happening in NATO territory and it If it is intentional, appropriate action should be taken.”

If the facts lead to the conclusion that there was intent behind the move, Dzielski argues that Article 4 of NATO’s operational treaty, which holds consultations when member states feel their security is threatened, states that “advance an appropriate way to do so,” he declared. Article 5 stipulates that an act of war against one Member State is an attack against all Member States.

For Dzielski himself, the first 24 hours after the initial reports of the explosion were “very busy.” Especially since a celebration for his 80th anniversary of Polish-Canadian relations was scheduled for the same night in Ottawa.

The guest list included two delegations from Poland, a number of Canadian Members of Parliament, and Minister Helena Jaczek, head of the Federal Economic Development Authority for Southern Ontario, whose father is Polish.

It was a different mood than Jelski expected.

“Instead of talking about big developments such as economic relations and cooperation at the political and military level, much of the conversation during and after the celebrations was directed at the situation in Poland,” he said. .

© 2022 The Canadian Press