British Conservative MP and defence committee chair Tobias Ellwood recently stated that building an arms factory in Poland producing NATO ammunition would be a more sustainable way of supplying the Ukrainian forces than sending tanks. 

In an interview given to The Telegraph in late January, Ellwood argued that constructing a major arms factory on Polish soil would transform procurement for Ukraine’s war effort and allow Kyiv to rely less on the West than up until now in its confrontation with Russia.

He went on by pointing out the West’s lack “lack of strategic foresight” when it comes to supporting Ukraine, giving the recent tank supply as an example of an unsustainable solution in the long run. “Tanks today, yes. But we need a strategy to make sure Ukraine can defend itself” – he insisted. 

https://twitter.com/Tobias_Ellwood/status/1617567983555219456

The Tory MP explained that Ukrainian forces should be able to “procure their own equipment to their own specification […] and have a constantly protected supply chain.”

Negotiations regarding the opening of such a facility in Poland took place in January. Ellwood ensured Warsaw that the UK would want to be among Western leaders to make sure that the undertaking becomes a success. 

Back in July, Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak announced that his country has ambitions of having “the most powerful land forces in Europe.” As a result, Warsaw is to raise its target defence spending from 2.4% of its GDP to as much as 5%. 

The country is purchasing military equipment from the USA, the UK, and South Korea among others. By 2035, the government aims to spend an unprecedented 524 billion zloty on the military.

Image: UK Parliament 

Author: Sébastien Meuwissen