Poland Threatens NATO Aid Lifeline to Ukraine

Polish President Andrzej Duda on Friday, July 11, 2025, issued a stark warning that Poland may shut down its key logistics hub used for NATO military aid to Ukraine.

The warning stems from what Duda described as growing frustration over Warsaw being sidelined in critical decisions related to operations that directly involve Polish territory.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Duda criticized both Ukraine and NATO, suggesting they were treating Poland’s infrastructure as if it were their own.

“They behave as though the Rzeszów airport and our highways belong to them.

“But they don’t, they’re ours,” Duda stated, as reported by RT.

Since the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022, the Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport in southeastern Poland, just 80 kilometers from Ukraine’s border, has functioned as a vital logistics hub.

An estimated 80 to 90 percent of military aid from NATO members and partners, including weapons, ammunition, and equipment, has passed through this facility.

The airport’s strategic importance has made it a cornerstone of the Western supply chain to Ukraine.

Duda expressed dissatisfaction that Poland has not been included in the international coordination structures overseeing the logistics and distribution of this aid.

“It’s scandalous that we are excluded from these decisions,” he said, accusing NATO and Ukrainian officials of taking Poland’s cooperation for granted.

“If someone doesn’t like the way we’re handling this, we’ll close it, end of story,” Duda added.

“Let them deliver the aid by sea, air, or even drop it by parachute if they must.”

The Polish president also framed the dispute as part of a broader imbalance in Poland’s relationship with the NATO alliance, particularly with the United States and Germany.

“We need to have the courage to speak plainly with both the Germans and the Americans,” Duda remarked.

Russia has consistently criticized NATO’s military support to Ukraine, arguing that such assistance prolongs the conflict and undermines diplomatic efforts.

According to Moscow, supply routes like those passing through Rzeszów only serve to intensify the war without altering its overall trajectory.

Duda’s comments come at a politically sensitive time.

He is due to leave office in August, and his successor, Karol Nawrocki, is expected to bring a shift in tone to Poland’s foreign policy, particularly regarding Ukraine.

Nawrocki, a historian and the current head of Poland’s Institute of National Remembrance, has taken a more critical stance on Ukraine’s aspirations to join both NATO and the European Union.

Nawrocki has expressed security-related concerns about Ukraine’s readiness to become part of Western institutions.

Also, he has openly criticized Kyiv’s commemoration of controversial nationalist figures tied to historical atrocities against Poles during World War II.

Although Nawrocki is expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after his inauguration, many observers anticipate a more cautious, possibly confrontational, stance in bilateral relations.

His administration is also likely to apply greater scrutiny to Ukraine’s EU and NATO accession ambitions.

The potential closure of the Rzeszów hub would mark a significant setback for NATO’s logistics in Eastern Europe.

This is because it comes particularly at a time when Ukraine remains heavily reliant on foreign military assistance to counter Russia’s ongoing invasion.

It also signals growing fatigue among some of Ukraine’s most stalwart allies, particularly those bearing the logistical and political burden of the war.

As the geopolitical landscape continues to shift, Poland’s evolving position may become a key test for NATO unity and the broader Western strategy in supporting Ukraine.

Whether these tensions can be managed diplomatically—or lead to disruptions in the military aid pipeline—remains to be seen.

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