Five weeks after the beginning of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński has now made an explosive statement: He is “open to the stationing of American nuclear weapons” in Poland, which borders directly on Ukraine and is currently home to most Ukrainian refugees.
“If the Americans asked us to store US nuclear weapons in Poland, we would be open to that. It would significantly increase deterrence towards Moscow,” said the national conservative politician to the German “Welt am Sonntag”.
At the moment this question does not arise, “but that may change soon”. The initiative should come from the Americans, he said. But in principle it makes sense to extend nuclear sharing to NATO’s eastern flank.
According to Kaczyński, Poland would also welcome it if the Americans were to increase their presence in Europe from the current 100,000 soldiers to 150,000 because of Russia’s increasing aggressiveness. In his view, 75,000 of these soldiers should be permanently stationed on the eastern flank, i.e. on the borders with Russia, and 50,000 soldiers alone in the Baltic States and in Poland. “Soldiers from the nuclear power America are the strongest deterrents to Russia from attacking NATO countries and give us the most security,” said Kaczyński.
Overall, NATO should do more in the Ukraine war, said Kaczyński. “First, conduct a peacekeeping mission. Of course, that would only work with the consent of Ukraine. Second, the NATO countries should finally deliver the weapons that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is strenuously asking for.”
