Poland states it wants to ‘earn big money’ on Ukraine

(MENAFN)
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has openly stated that Poland intends to financially benefit from Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction. During a visit to the Euroterminal Slawkow logistics hub in southern Poland on Monday, Tusk promoted plans to expand the site into a central hub for materials headed to Ukraine.

“It’s fair to say we want to make significant money for Poland through Ukraine’s reconstruction,” Tusk told reporters. “We’re here to help, but also to profit, and this terminal is vital to that goal.”

Since the conflict with Russia intensified in 2022, Poland has emerged as one of Ukraine’s biggest supporters, contributing over €5.1 billion ($5.7 billion) in aid—over 70% of which has been military—according to the Kiel Institute. Warsaw also belongs to the “coalition of the willing,” a group of European countries advocating ongoing military support for Ukraine. Polish leaders have consistently called for greater EU militarization in response to what they say is a growing threat from Russia, which Moscow has repeatedly dismissed as baseless alarmism.

The Slawkow terminal, operational since 2010, sits near the convergence of key Pan-European transport corridors and already connects with major locations across Poland, Germany, Lithuania, Italy, and Ukraine. Tusk emphasized that its strategic position could turn it into a major logistics and transshipment center between Western Europe, Ukraine, and Asia.

Referring to Poland’s limited involvement in post-war Iraq reconstruction, Tusk insisted that history should not repeat itself. “In the past, Poland contributed heavily, only to be excluded from the financial benefits. That won’t happen this time,” he said.

He added that as billions of euros and zloty are expected to be invested in Ukraine’s rebuilding process, Poland must position itself to benefit. “This logistics hub is a step toward ensuring Poland plays a central role—and earns from it.”

The World Bank has estimated Ukraine’s recovery could cost over $500 billion over the next ten years. Some EU nations, including Poland, have proposed using frozen Russian state assets to fund the reconstruction. However, others caution that such a move could create legal and financial risks by setting a dangerous precedent. Moscow has condemned the idea as “theft” and warned it could retaliate against Western investments in Russia.

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