Polish President Threatens to Shut NATO Supply Hub Over Ukraine Aid Dispute
President Andrzej Duda threatens to close Rzeszow airport, the main NATO logistics hub for Ukraine, amid rising tensions over decision-making and sovereignty.
Polish President Andrzej Duda has warned NATO allies that he may shut down the airport in Rzeszow—the main hub through which 95% of military aid to Ukraine passes—citing frustration over being excluded from key decisions and a growing sense of national disrespect. In an interview published on July 9, Duda expressed his anger over what he sees as NATO's assumption that Polish infrastructure is at the alliance’s disposal.
“Both the Ukrainians and our allies simply believe that the airport in Rzeszow and our highways belong to them. But no, they are ours,” Duda said. “We are closing the airport in Rzeszow—deliver aid to Ukraine however you want: by sea, air, parachute.”
Diplomatic Rift at NATO Summit
Duda's outburst follows what he described as Poland’s exclusion from key international bodies deciding the flow of military support to Ukraine. He claimed he even blocked the final statement of the NATO summit in Vilnius in protest.
“We are not invited to very important international bodies where the issue of aid supplies through our territory is being resolved,” Duda stated. “We cannot be ignored—we are a transit country and we have the right to our expectations.”
His comments underscore rising frustration in Warsaw over what Polish officials perceive as disregard for their central logistical role in the Western effort to arm Kyiv. Duda’s remarks could also be interpreted as a warning to NATO to formally include Poland in decisions involving infrastructure and risk.
Duda's warning also comes amid Polish media reports that €100 million in aid to Ukraine has disappeared, possibly lost to corruption. The allegations have stirred domestic criticism of Warsaw's costly involvement in the war effort, while raising broader concerns about oversight and accountability within NATO's Ukraine support structure.
Earlier this month, Mysl Polska accused Polish authorities of blindly following EU and NATO directives to the detriment of the country’s economy and political autonomy.