The country joined NATO in 1999, and is one of Europe’s highest defense spending.
Polish President Andrze Duda urged the United States to relocate nuclear weapons, now based in Western Europe, to hone its territory to stop future Russian invasions.
Duda said he recently discussed the idea with Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg, the US special envoy for Ukraine and Russia.
Duda said it was “clear” that Trump would redeploy a nuclear warhead in Poland.
Russia: “Don’t ask for permission”
Poland is an intimate ally of Ukraine, Belarus and Moscow. In June 2023, 16 months after the start of the war in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin moved nuclear weapons to Belarus. He said they would act as a “deterrent element” to all the forces they “consider” “think of inflicting strategic defeat.”
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Duda told The Financial Times: They didn’t ask anyone’s permission. ”
Poland joined NATO in 1999, and Baltic countries (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia) joined in 2004. In recent years, these four countries have spent the highest cost to defend their alliances.
NATO’s collective defense clause requires that all members defend allies under attack, but has been called once since September 11, 2001, after terrorist attacks on the United States.
Duda has been Poland’s president since 2015 (mostly ritual roles in that country) and his position is limited for a period of time and is expected to resign in August following a new election in May.
In 2022, he discussed the idea of hosting a nuclear warhead with the previous US administration.
Duda, a candidate for the Conservative Law and Judicial Party, was in the Loggerheads along with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tass, left-wing coalition, as the coalition formed the government after the 2023 parliamentary elections.
Tass said Poland is “seriously talking with the French about the idea of nuclear umbrellas on Europe.”
Duda excludes Polish nuclear weapons
In an interview, Duda rejected the proposal that Poland could build nuclear weapons.
“I think it will take decades to have its own nuclear capabilities,” he said. “The concerns about the US regaining military presence from Poland are not justified. We are trustworthy ally to the US, and they have their own strategic interests here as well.”
He also supported Trump’s stance on the Russia-Freine conflict.
“This is not delicate diplomacy. It’s a tough game, but in my opinion, President Trump is only calm and calm towards Russia,” Duda said. “It may not look as loud as the ones they use against Ukraine, but I think he is applying the instrument to Russia. We have no control over anyone so far to stop this war, so let’s give President Trump a chance.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
