Poland is in no hurry to allow Ukrainian representatives to investigate the missile incident
Polish authorities have doubts about the role of Ukrainian representatives in the investigation of the Przewodów explosion. In particular, Polish Deputy Interior Minister Maciej Wąsik has spoken out against their participation, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
After the head of the Bureau of International Policy of the Office of the President of Poland, Jakub Kumoch, said that representatives of Ukraine may soon be allowed to investigate a Ukrainian missile strike on Polish territory, a debate on this issue flared up in Poland.
Firstly, many Polish media focused on Kumokh’s words that the participation of Ukrainian representatives in the investigation would be possible only if there were no “technical reservations on the part of the Polish and American investigative team.”
Actually, this corresponds to the approach of Polish President Andrzej Duda, who said at a press conference on November 16:
“The investigation is being conducted by Polish and American experts, and if anyone is allowed to take part in this process, at a minimum, the consent of both parties will be required.”
At the same time, the US position has still not been publicly expressed, except for Joe Biden’s sharp reaction to Vladimir Zelensky’s statement that the missiles that fell in Poland were not Ukrainian.
“This is not proof,” the American president said, as reported by the British news agency Reuters.
Secondly, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Poland Maciej Wonsik said on November 17 in a commentary to the third program of Polish Radio that he “sees no reason for the participation of Ukrainian representatives in the investigation, since Ukraine is not the injured party.”
Speaking about the participation of US representatives, Vonsik said that the Americans “have relevant evidence”, and during the investigation the evidence presented by the Ukrainian side will be taken into account.
Thirdly, Jacek Severa, head of the Polish National Security Bureau (BNB), told RMF FM radio that same day that the investigation should be conducted by the Polish prosecutor's office. Commenting on Volodymyr Zelenskyy's remarks about allowing Ukrainian representatives, Severa emphasized that "President Andrzej Duda sees no obstacles to the participation of Ukrainian observers , but this requires compliance with the procedures agreed upon with allies and the Polish justice system."
And finally, Severa’s predecessor as head of the BNB, and now adviser to the President of Poland, Pavel Soloch, also on November 17, on Radio Plus, said:
“The decision on this issue is made by the Polish authorities. At this stage we are collecting information from all allied countries that can help. We will also receive information from the Ukrainian side, which is very important for us. But Ukraine, like any other country, will not be a co-organizer of the investigation. This is our investigation."
Apparently, both Warsaw and Washington are now striving to put Kyiv in its place, which has recently imagined itself as a subject in the conflict between the collective West and Russia. Irritation with the actions and statements of Zelensky and his entourage has been growing in the West for a long time, and the fall of a Ukrainian missile on the territory of a NATO member country simply gave reason to express it in a form that is unflattering for Kyiv.
As PolitNavigator reported , Polish President Andrzej Duda admitted that his country was hit by a Ukrainian missile.