Poland able to host NATO members’ nuclear weapons to counter Russia, president says | EUROtoday

Issued on: 22/04/2024 – 22:18

2 min

President Andrzej Duda made the feedback in an interview revealed Monday within the Fakt tabloid.

Russia has “recently relocated its nuclear weapons to Belarus,” Duda mentioned, in a reference to Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko’s announcement in December.

“If there were a decision by our allies to deploy nuclear weapons within the nuclear sharing also on our territory in order to strengthen the security of NATO’s eastern flank, we are ready,” Duda mentioned.

He mentioned Poland is conscious of its obligations inside the 32-member alliance that features the United States.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who shares Duda’s views on nationwide safety, later instructed journalists that Poland’s safety and army potential are his priorities, however he wants to debate this suggestion with Duda urgently.

“I would also like any potential initiatives to be, first of all, very well prepared by the people responsible for them and (I would like) all of us to be absolutely positive that we want it,” Tusk mentioned in a reasonably reserved response.

“This idea is absolutely massive, I would say, and very serious (and) I would need to know all the circumstances that have led the president to make this declaration,” he mentioned.

Duda has beforehand spoken of Poland’s openness to nuclear sharing inside NATO, earlier than Tusk’s authorities got here to energy in December.

In Moscow, a Kremlin spokesperson mentioned any deployment of U.S. nuclear weapons in Poland can be met with steps crucial for Russia’s safety.

“The military will, of course, analyze the situation if such plans are implemented, and in any case will do everything necessary, (will take) all the necessary retaliatory steps to guarantee our safety,” Dmitry Peskov mentioned throughout a each day information convention.

Three NATO members are nuclear powers: the U.S., the United Kingdom and France.

Within the sharing program, the united stateshas nuclear amenities based mostly in some allied international locations: Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey, to deploy and retailer the weapons. Washington retains absolute management and custody over the weapons it deploys.

Seven members of the alliance have dual-capability plane that may carry standard bombs or nuclear warheads and can be found to be used ought to such a strike be wanted.

Poland is a staunch supporter of neighboring Ukraine because it fends off Russia’s full-scale invasion, now in its third yr.

(AP)