Warsaw [Poland], March 8: Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the country is looking to gain access to nuclear and other non-conventional weapons, including joining a French joint nuclear initiative.
Speaking before the Polish House of Representatives on March 7, Prime Minister Tusk said: "We must realize that Poland should seek access to the most advanced capabilities, including those related to nuclear weapons and modern non-traditional weapons... this is a race for security, not for war."
Prime Minister Tusk said that Poland is in serious negotiations with France on protection under Paris' "nuclear umbrella". At the same time, the Polish leader noted that he would hold detailed consultations with the Defense Ministry and the General Staff on the specific consequences of Warsaw's participation in this initiative.
Earlier, on March 5, French President Emmanuel Macron discussed the growing threats to Europe and France, including from Russia. Mr. Macron also opened up the possibility of putting European countries under the protection of the French nuclear deterrent force.
According to Politico , Poland's strong military expansion comes amid growing concerns in Europe that US President Donald Trump is "turning his back" on Western allies.
In addition to moving toward nuclear weapons, Prime Minister Tusk also talked about significantly strengthening Poland's conventional military. "By the end of the year, we want to have a readiness model where every adult male in Poland is combat-trained and this reserve force is capable of responding to possible threats," Tusk said.
The plan is part of an effort to build a 500,000-strong army to counter the threat from Poland. The Polish army currently has about 200,000 soldiers, making it the third largest force in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO ) after the United States and Turkey.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
