Poland President Would Permit NATO Nuclear Arms to Deter Russia

(StraightNews.org) – Polish President Andrzej Duda said his country is prepared to host nuclear weapons if NATO considers it necessary. Mr. Duda said that Russia has recently moved its atomic arms to Belarus, a key Moscow ally, and NATO can, therefore, relocate weapons to his country to reinforce the alliance’s eastern flank. Belarus shares a border with Poland, as well as fellow NATO members Lithuania and Latvia.

During an interview with a Polish newspaper, Mr. Duda stated that Poland and the US have discussed “nuclear sharing” numerous times, adding, “I must admit that when asked about it, I declared our readiness.”

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov responded to the remarks, saying Moscow would “take all necessary retaliatory steps” to ensure Russian security.

Duda also addressed his relationship with former President Donald Trump, whom he recently visited in New York. He described Mr. Trump as an interesting personality with a lot of political and business experience and said they have remained friends since the close of the Trump administration in 2021.

Russian President Putin began his strategic relocation of nuclear arms last summer, announcing he was prepared to use them if Russian territory or sovereignty faced a genuine threat. Speaking at a St. Petersburg International Economic Forum event in June, Putin said the move was intended to warn any country “thinking of inflicting a strategic defeat on us.”

When asked how he would feel about deploying an atomic weapon, Mr. Putin questioned why he would consider bringing about the end of the world. He reiterated that he would only do so, reluctantly, if backed into a corner and facing the extinction of the Russian state.

Adrienne Watson, the spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, has called Putin’s remarks “reckless and irresponsible” but added that there is no indication that he intends to use potentially world-threatening armaments.

Belarus is one of Russia’s most critical allies and served as a base for the 2022 Kremlin invasion of Ukraine.