Polish President Calls for US Nuclear Weapons to Be Deployed in Poland to Deter Russia

Polish President Andrzej Duda has called on the United States to deploy nuclear weapons in Poland as a strategic step to deter potential aggression from the Russian Federation. The issue was raised during Duda's recent meeting with US diplomat and US Special Representative for Ukraine Keith Kellogg.

In an interview with the Financial Times, the Polish leader said that US President Donald Trump could move nuclear warheads from Western Europe or the US directly to Poland. This, Duda said, is a logical step after NATO's eastward expansion in 1999. He noted that 26 years after that expansion, it is necessary to review NATO's infrastructure, including nuclear resources, by moving it eastward. "It is obvious to me that the time has come," Duda stressed.

The Polish president also stressed that his proposal is an attempt to revive the nuclear weapons sharing project, which he tried to promote back in 2022, when he appealed to the administration of then US President Joe Biden. It is worth noting that during the Cold War, Poland kept Soviet nuclear warheads on its territory. However, the current deployment of US nuclear weapons in Poland, given the current situation and close military cooperation with NATO, could become a powerful deterrent to aggression from Russia.

For his part, Andrzej Duda expressed concern about Vladimir Putin's statement in 2023 about his intention to move tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, Moscow's ally in the conflict with Ukraine. "Russia did not even hesitate when it moved its nuclear weapons to Belarus, they did not ask for permission," the Polish leader noted, emphasizing that the Kremlin does not hesitate to deploy nuclear weapons in neighboring countries, unlike the West.

This proposal reflects growing concern among Central and Eastern European countries, including Poland, about further Russian actions and the potential threat from the Kremlin. Poland, according to Duda, is indeed worried that Russia may withdraw from the peace talks with Ukraine brokered by Donald Trump, strengthening its position in the negotiations.

In the context of this issue, the Polish president also clarified that he does not consider Donald Trump to be a supporter of softening the policy towards Russia or advancing negotiations aimed at forcing Ukraine to cease hostilities. "This is not delicate diplomacy, this is a tough game," Duda stressed, expressing the hope that Trump can apply his methods in the fight against Russia, which may be less obvious, but no less effective.

Thus, the Polish president's call for the deployment of US nuclear weapons on the territory of his country reflects not only military, but also strategic concerns about further Russian actions, and emphasizes the importance of enhanced international cooperation to ensure security in Europe.