[Russia]: Message for Poland

[Zak]

Ministry of Defence
Security Classification: ENCRYPTED​

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Dear Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek

After a thorough internal review and in light of prevailing strategic considerations, the Russian Federation has decided to suspend the Kingdom of Poland's right to resell, transfer, or otherwise distribute Russian-manufactured military equipment to third parties on a temporary basis. This decision is driven solely by national security imperatives and the need to maintain strict end-user integrity in line with our defence export protocols.

This suspension shall take immediate effect and applies retroactively to all previously licensed equipment, unless an explicit waiver is granted in writing by the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation.

That said, we remain committed to constructive engagement and recognize the operational needs of the Polish Armed Forces. Accordingly, the Russian Federation will continue to allow the Kingdom of Poland to procure Russian-manufactured defence systems and components directly, subject to standard export control assessments. As a gesture of continued goodwill, all such acquisitions may be transacted at base production pricing, exclusive of surcharges or escalation premiums.

We appreciate your understanding and look forward to your confirmation of receipt and compliance.

Implementation
All entities under Polish jurisdiction must immediately comply with the suspension by halting transactions involving Russian-origin equipment as licenses will be revoked upon receipt of this email.

We trust that Poland will understand this decision as a necessary step to safeguard mutual security interests and view the offered concessions as a foundation for continued collaboration and growth.

We look forward to Poland’s constructive engagement as we navigate these challenges together.

Kind Regards,
Colonel General Alexander Fomin
Deputy Minister of Defence
Russian Federation

ManBear

 

[ManBear]

To: Colonel General Alexander Fomin; Deputy Minister of Defense Zak

Subject: Poland-Russian Deal of Military Equipment

CC: Stanislaus Grabowski, King of Poland; Wojciech Tomaszewski, Minister of National Defense; Alfons Dowak, Polish Defense Exports

Security: Secured and Encrypted Secret

Deputy Minister Fomin, First let me congratulate your new government on their win with the recent election and that it is my great hope that we can continue fostering a healthy and ever-improving relationship between the Russian Federation and the Kingdom of Poland. Now on to the meat and potatoes of your reason for this communication. We are saddened to hear of the suspension of our ability to manufacture and produce Russian equipment as outline in an agreement with the prior administration, though we do understand the strategic and national security reasons for doing so. We are gladdened to still have the ability to purchase equipment ourselves from the Russian Federation at base pricing minus surcharges or escalation premiums. Through this we can see Russia's intention of maintaining goodwill with the Kingdom of Poland and we can abide by this ruling with a few caveats. While we are interested in continuing positive relations with the Russian Federation, I feel I would be remiss in reminding your office that Poland made a significant investment into the Russian Federation to insure we had these capabilities to produce our own equipment to the sum of $5,000,000,000.00 initial investment alongside a premium charge for all produced equipment totaling $349,853,920.22. We are not currently asking for compensation for the loss of these subsidies, we are simply clarifying Poland's position. Regarding the suspension of current productions of Russian equipment, we are currently producing a series of Voronezh Radars for the Sultanate of Egypt and the Sudan under contract with their Ministry of Procurement. We would like to request permission to finalize this production under the grounds of loss of monetary value, loss of international standing, and damage to business revenue for the Polish Defense Exports. Regardless of the decision regarding the radar systems to Egypt, we will comply with the request of your government and cease any future production of equipment for the terms of the temporary suspension. Additionally, I feel it would be best to host a meeting within Warsaw at the Palace of Culture and Science between members of your government and my own. I feel this meeting would help bolster relations while we discuss certain aspects of our treaties and agreements with your previous administration.

Kind Regards, Jerzy Buzek Prime Minister Kingdom of Poland

 

[Zak]

Ministry of Defence
Security Classification: ENCRYPTED​

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Dear Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek

Thank you for your kind congratulations and continued diplomatic engagement. The Government of the Russian Federation sincerely values its partnership with the Kingdom of Poland, and we echo your sentiment in wishing to cultivate an ever-stronger and more cooperative relationship between our nations.

We fully recognize the significance of the issues raised in your correspondence regarding the recent suspension of licensed production of Russian defense equipment by Polish industries. As previously stated, this decision was based solely on pressing national security and strategic considerations, and we are grateful for your understanding in this regard.

We also acknowledge and appreciate Poland’s substantial financial commitment to the original licensing arrangement, including your $5,000,000,000 initial investment and subsequent premium payments amounting to $349,853,920.22. While we understand you are not currently requesting restitution, we recognize the burden placed on your government and your defense export sector due to this unforeseen policy change.

Regarding your production of Voronezh Radar systems for the Sultanate of Egypt and Sudan, after careful review by our Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, we regret to inform you that we cannot authorize continuation of production under the current suspension order. We understand this will necessitate the cancellation of Poland’s contractual obligations with these foreign partners, which may result in reputational and financial losses.

In acknowledgment of these impacts, the Russian Federation is prepared to offer a partial compensation package to the Government of Poland which will be drawn up by my colleagues in the coming days, to be disbursed through an intergovernmental settlement mechanism. This amount is intended to offset documented costs associated with the radar program’s cancellation, as well as to reaffirm our commitment to fair dealing and future cooperation. Our respective ministries may coordinate to finalize the verification and disbursement process.

Furthermore, we are pleased to accept your proposal for a high-level meeting in Warsaw. The suggested venue of the Palace of Culture and Science is most appropriate, and we look forward to direct discussions concerning the future of our strategic ties and the terms of legacy agreements. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will contact your government shortly to coordinate dates and the composition of delegations.

We remain firmly committed to ensuring that our bilateral relationship continues in a spirit of transparency, partnership, and mutual respect.

Kind Regards,
Colonel General Alexander Fomin
Deputy Minister of Defence
Russian Federation

ManBear

 

[ManBear]

To: Colonel General Alexander Fomin Zak

Subject: Poland-Russian Deal of Military Equipment

CC: N/A

Security: Secured and Encrypted Secret

Colonel Fomin, I want to extend our sincere appreciation for your thoughtful and forthright response. I recognize and value your commitment to preserving and strengthening our strategic partnership. Poland fully acknowledges the rationale given concerning the suspension of the licensing deal created with the previous administration and respect the prerogatives that informed this decision. While this developments presents serious challenges to our defense sector and related international obligations, we are heartened by your expressed understanding of our position as demonstrated in your communications with us. We have taken note of your formal denial of continued production of the Voronezh Radar systems destined for our third-party partners. While regrettable, we appreciate the clarity of your position and the professional diligence exercise by your Ministry of Industry and Trade and the federal service for the Military-Technical Cooperation. We can confirm that we have cancelled all current productions of equipment detailed above and third-party partners have been notified of the cancellation. In this regard, we welcome the Russian Federation's stated intention to propose a partial compensation package. I consider this a constructive gesture that reflects mutual recognition of the impacts made by the cancellation but in an act of friendship we must decline such compensation. As stated previously, we are not seeking compensation but expressing the loss we face while adhering with this directive of your government. I would also like to confirm our readiness to host a high-level bilateral summit in Warsaw and we eagerly await confirmation from your Ministry of Foreign Affairs to reach out to our own Ministry of Foreign Affairs to hash out the details to insure this summit is a successful one. The Kingdom of Poland remains unwavering in its belief that enduring regional stability and prosperity are best secured through principled dialogue, mutual respect, and accountable diplomacy. We trust that this upcoming engagement shall serve as a meaningful step towards reinforcing the trust between our two nations and redefining our strategic relationships.

Kind Regards, Jerzy Buzek Prime Minister Kingdom of Poland