Poland "ready" to host NATO nuclear weapons, its president says

Poland is fresh to big atomic arms if NATO decides to deploy nan weapons successful nan look of Russia reinforcing its armaments successful Belarus and Kaliningrad, President Andrzej Duda said successful an question and reply published Monday.

Poland, a NATO personnel and staunch protagonist of Ukraine, shares a separator pinch some Russia's Kaliningrad exclave and pinch Belarus, Moscow's ally.

"If our friends determine to deploy atomic arms connected our territory arsenic portion of atomic sharing, to reenforce NATO's eastbound flank, we are fresh to do so," Duda said successful an question and reply published by nan Fakt daily.

Polish President Andrzej Duda speaks during a property convention pinch NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg astatine nan alliance's office successful Brussels, Belgium connected March 14, 2024. Yves Herman / REUTERS

Moscow successful consequence warned it would return steps to "ensure its security" if Warsaw sewage nan weapons.

Duda said to nan Polish media aft a visit to New York, wherever he held meetings astatine nan U.N. and discussed the warfare successful Ukraine pinch erstwhile US president Donald Trump.

In March, he visited Washington, wherever he met pinch President Biden.

Discussions astir atomic practice betwixt Poland and nan United States person been ongoing "for immoderate time," he said.

"I person already talked astir this respective times. I must admit that, erstwhile asked astir it, I declared our readiness," Duda said.

"Russia is progressively militarizing Kaliningrad. Recently it has been relocating its atomic weapons to Belarus," he added.

The Kremlin said it would respond if Poland hosted atomic weapons.

"The subject will of people analyse nan business and successful immoderate lawsuit will return each basal consequence steps successful bid to guarantee our security," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

In June 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that Russia had sent tactical atomic arms to Belarus, which borders Ukraine and Poland.

During nan past NATO acme successful Vilnius, nan friends pledged to "take each basal steps to guarantee nan credibility, effectiveness, information and information of nan atomic deterrent mission." 

In:
• Nuclear Weapons
• Ukraine
• Poland