Poland‘s deputy prime minister and minister of national defense canceled his planned visit to South Korea after Beijing rejected the Polish government jet’s flight plan through its airspace.
What Happened: Polish officials said Mariusz Blaszczak was expected to meet Seoul’s Defence Minister Lee Jong Sup on Tuesday, but after Beijing’s denials for airspace access, they had a video call on Wednesday, reported South China Morning Post.
Blaszczak also missed the release ceremonies for weapons that Poland recently bought in Changwon, South Gyeongsang province.
The Polish delegation was reportedly planning to use the government’s jet to fly via a direct air route over China to Seoul.
Warsaw also considered using other routes but gave up the idea as it would have required refueling and consumed too much time.
Although Seoul did not elaborate on the reason for the decision, the report noted that this could be because of Beijing’s close ties with Russia and Poland’s support for Ukraine. The Polish government is believed to have sent at least $1.7 billion in military aid, armored fighting vehicles, tanks, self-propelled guns, rocket launchers, and other weapons to Ukraine. Poland is reportedly the third-largest donor of military aid to Ukraine, after the U.S. and U.K., according to the BBC.
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