European Commission declines to comment on Polish president’s veto of social assistance for Ukrainians
Illustrative photo: The European Commission declined to comment on the Polish president’s veto of social assistance for Ukrainians (Getty Images)
The European Commission declined to comment on the veto by Polish President Karol Nawrocki regarding the law on aid for Ukrainian refugees. However, it noted that each EU country hosting Ukrainians determines the amount of assistance independently, states European Commission spokesperson Markus Lammert during a briefing, according to Suspilne.
Lammert stated that the European Commission does not comment on draft legislation and explained that, in general, under the Temporary Protection Directive, EU member states are required to provide necessary social security, healthcare, and means of subsistence to those benefiting from it if they do not have sufficient resources themselves.
He noted that the Temporary Protection Directive does not specify a fixed amount or minimum threshold of social assistance for Ukrainian refugees; each member state hosting them determines the level of support.
At the same time, the European Commission spokesperson emphasized that Brussels also provides funding to European countries to assist Ukrainians.
He added that the European Commission provides substantial funding and recently published a decision to allocate an additional €3 billion to member states hosting Ukrainian refugees.
Polish president vetoes social assistance for Ukrainians
Yesterday, August 25, Polish President Karol Nawrocki vetoed a bill passed by the Sejm that would have provided social support for Ukrainian citizens.
According to him, the 800 Plus program and free medical services should only be available to Ukrainians who are officially employed in Poland.
Today, a new draft law from President Nawrocki was submitted to the Polish parliament.
Digitalization Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski criticized the president’s decision, stating that it could result in the suspension of Starlink services and cloud data storage provided by Poland to Ukraine.
At the same time, the head of the Chancellery of the President of Poland, Zbigniew Bogucki, does not foresee a shutdown of the Starlink internet in Ukraine funded by Poland.
For more details on why Poland is limiting the rights of Ukrainians, read the material by RBC-Ukraine.
