Poland Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Friday in a speech in Parliament that the country should develop nuclear weapons and expand its regular army to improve its defensive capabilities, facing the increasing strategic risk that Russia offers to Europe.
According to Tusk, the constant change of the military scenario in Ukraine is a sign that acquiring conventional weapons only is no longer sufficient to ensure the safety of Poland and the country should expand its investment in defense to acquire nuclear and unconventional weapons.
“I say this with total responsibility: It is not enough to buy conventional weapons, the most traditional. The battlefield is changing before our eyes month by month, ”Tusk told legislators on Friday. “Poland must seek the most modern possibilities, also related to nuclear weapons and unconventional weapons.”
In parallel, the Polish government plan foresees that the country’s army fold in size, from the current 230,000 men to 500,000, with the implementation of a mandatory service by the end of the year to include reservists in the expansion of the military staff.
The decision of US President Donald Trump of forcing Ukraine to accept a peace agreement favorable to Russia and its threats to abandon the alliance with Europeans has caused a frenzy in the EU in recent days, which is quickly outlining a plan to rear.
“If Ukraine loses war or accepting the terms of peace that weakens its sovereignty and facilitates Putin’s control, then Poland will undoubtedly find themselves in a much more difficult geopolitical situation,” Tusk said.
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On Thursday, 6, in Brussels, the bloc’s leaders agreed to invest 800 billion euros in defense in the coming years, with 150 billion to be spent in the short term, both in help to Ukraine and in strengthening their arsenals.
By NATO treaties, the US has about 100 atomic bombs in Europe, in countries such as Germany, Italy, and Türkiye. Trump did not openly said that he intends to remove them, but his pro-Russian behavior has worried Europeans.
After Trump expelled Zelenski from the White House at a meeting that turned a mouth -to -week beating, French President Emmanuel Macron suggested offering the protection of the French arsenal to the whole of Europe as an element of dissuasion in the event of a Russian threat, as Moscow is also a nuclear power. Poland, however, is the first European country in decades to speak openly about developing atomic weapons.
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A historical threat
The Baltic countries, more exposed to Russia because they were part of the USSR, positively signaled to the French offer. Tusk himself said that even though he is open to developing his own weapons Poland should accept the French suggestion.
Throughout history, Poland has been invaded several times by the Russians. The last time was in World War II, after the non -aggression pact between Hitler and Stalin, which led to the country’s sharing in 1939.
That is why the country, with a population of 38 million people, is deeply concerned with the war in Ukraine. It is feared that if Ukraine is defeated, Russia turns its ambitions to Eastern Europe, as occurred in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.
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“We are facing a very serious race. And this is a safety race, not a race for war, ”said Tusk. “I deeply believe that we will all pass this test,” said Tusk. “Poland will be safe and, as a result, Poland, as it has always been in our dreams throughout such a difficult story, will also be invincible.”
Poland is the country of Europe that spends the most today on defense. This year, Warsaw will spend 4.7% of GDP on arms, the highest level of NATO.
