Poland seeks control of international fund for reconstruction of Ukraine

Polish Deputy Prime Minister Jacek Sasin told Polish Radio on May 29 that the problem of reconstruction Ukraine was a prominent topic at the World Economic Forum (WEF) held in Davos, Switzerland last week.

Mr. Sasin said that Poland is mentioned practically everywhere as the country that provides the most assistance to Ukraine.

Poland has received about 3.7 million Ukrainian refugees, actively supplying weapons to Kiev, including tanks, in the ongoing conflict with Russia. Poland also allows other countries to send weapons and aid to Ukraine through its territory.

The Deputy Prime Minister said that only Poland can guarantee to bring Ukrainian grain, at least to the extent possible, to world markets. Ukraine is a major grain producer, but the closure of ports in the Black Sea due to fighting has left only overland routes for the country’s exports.

According to Mr. Sasin, the Polish government wants to play an even bigger role in recovering the damage suffered by the neighboring country.

“The United Nations is setting up an international fund to support the reconstruction of Ukraine. We try to make sure that the center of this fund is in Poland. Thus, we will have not only a logistics center, but also a financial center,” Sasin explained.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, Warsaw has begun negotiations with Kiev on the participation of Polish companies in the reconstruction of Ukraine.

Earlier this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky promised to grant special legal status for Polish citizens, emphasizing that “there should be no border or barrier” between the two neighbours. “Spiritally, the peoples of Ukraine and Poland have been inseparable for a long time,” Zelensky said.