Poland’s President Andrzej Duda has once again urged the United States to deploy nuclear weapons to Poland as a deterrent against Russia, signaling growing concerns over Russia’s actions in this frontline NATO country.
In an interview, Duda reiterated a similar appeal he made to the Biden administration in 2022.
Wojciech Kolarski, Duda’s adviser for international affairs, reinforced this call during an interview on Poland’s RMF FM radio, stating that nuclear protection would enhance Poland’s security. As a NATO member located on the alliance’s eastern border, Poland shares borders with Ukraine, Belarus, and the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a political rival of Duda, mentioned last week that Poland is in discussions with France about President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal to use France’s nuclear deterrent to protect Europe from Russian threats. Moscow has labeled this suggestion as “extremely confrontational.”
Tusk made his statement to parliament after French President Emmanuel Macron announced that he had decided to initiate a “strategic debate” about using France’s nuclear deterrent to safeguard European allies, amid worries over possible U.S. disengagement. In a televised address, Macron referred to Moscow as a “threat to France and Europe.”
France is currently the only nuclear-armed country within the European Union.