Poland rules out hosting nuclear weapons despite Russian threat
BRUSSELS — Poland “does not want” allied nuclear weapons stationed on its territory, the country’s Deputy Defense Minister Paweł Zalewski said Thursday, despite growing worries of a Russian incursion into NATO territory. “I would like to say very clearly and openly: Poland does not want to have nuclear warheads on its territory,” he told reporters […]
Poland has firmly declared its opposition to hosting nuclear weapons on its soil, despite mounting concerns about a potential Russian invasion of NATO territory, according to Deputy Defense Minister Paweł Zalewski. Speaking at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Zalewski emphasized, "Poland does not want to have nuclear warheads on its territory."
He clarified that Poland's aspiration to be part of NATO's nuclear deterrence capability does not necessitate the physical presence of nuclear weapons within its borders. This statement represents Poland's most explicit position on the matter, reflecting a stance that contrasts with its earlier expressions of cautious interest in the U.S. proposal for an expansion of its nuclear deterrent across Europe, as well as its participation in France's initiative to extend its own deterrent presence in the region.
Furthermore, Polish President Karol Nawrocki has suggested the possibility of Poland developing its own nuclear weapons program in the future. Western officials have expressed apprehension, warning that Russia might target NATO's territory by the end of the decade, with recent U.S. intelligence suggesting the possibility of such an attack occurring even sooner.
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