Russia has issued a stern warning to Poland against hosting foreign nuclear weapons on its territory, declaring that such a move would lead to Russia considering these sites as primary military targets. This warning comes amidst Warsaw’s ongoing discussions with Washington regarding the potential deployment of nuclear arms in Poland under NATO’s nuclear sharing program.
President Andrzej Duda has publicly expressed Poland’s willingness to host such weapons, while Prime Minister Donald Tusk has sought to downplay these remarks. However, Moscow considers NATO’s nuclear expansion, including joint missions involving non-nuclear members and the permanent stationing of nuclear weapons, as destabilizing and threatening to its security.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov emphasized that any deployment of foreign nuclear weapons in Poland would result in Russia designating the relevant sites as priority military targets. He stressed that Polish politicians contemplating such a move must understand that it would not enhance Poland’s security but rather expose the country to significant risk.
According to public sources, the US currently stores gravity bombs capable of carrying nuclear warheads in five non-nuclear NATO states: Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Turkey. Poland’s previous conservative government, led by the Law and Justice party, had sought to join this group, but the current government has not indicated any concrete plans to do so.
Russia’s warning underscores the ongoing tensions between NATO and Russia over nuclear weapons and the potential for further escalation. It remains to be seen how Poland will respond to Russia’s threats and whether the country will ultimately proceed with its plans to host foreign nuclear weapons.
