In a significant development for NATO and the European security landscape, Poland has announced its willingness to host nuclear weapons on its territory. This move comes as a response to Russia’s recent decision to station its nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus, escalating tensions in the region.
President Andrzej Duda of Poland made the declaration in an interview published Monday in the Fakt tabloid, indicating that Poland is ready to host nuclear weapons from other NATO members. This move is viewed as a direct response to Russia’s relocation of nuclear weapons to Belarus.
“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 said, referencing the December announcement by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
Poland’s willingness to host nuclear weapons aligns with its strong support for Ukraine as it battles against Russia’s full-scale invasion, now in its third year. However, not everyone in Poland’s government is immediately on board with the proposal.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who shares Duda’s views on national security, expressed a more cautious approach, emphasizing the need for thorough preparation and discussion.
“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 said.
“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 added, suggesting the need for a more detailed analysis before making any final decisions.
In Moscow, a Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, responded to the news by warning that any deployment of US nuclear weapons in Poland would be met with necessary retaliatory steps to ensure Russia’s security.
“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,” Peskov said.
