Poland's nuclear warhead message to the US: We do not want them on our soil
Polish Deputy Defense Minister Pawel Zalewski has ruled out the option of nuclear warheads during discussions regarding the US military presence in the country.
12punto
Poland has announced that it does not welcome the deployment of US-owned nuclear warheads on its territory. The Warsaw administration stated that while contacts regarding the future of the American military presence in the country are ongoing, any potential arrangements will not include nuclear warheads.
Polish Deputy Defense Minister Pawel Zalewski made assessments to the national press following his meeting with Elbridge Colby, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Force Development, at NATO Headquarters in Brussels.
Responding to assessments suggesting that the future US military presence in Poland could include nuclear elements, Zalewski said, "No. I want to state this very clearly and unequivocally. Poland does not want to host nuclear warheads on its territory."
Zalewski stated that Poland wants to be part of NATO's nuclear deterrence; however, he emphasized that this does not mean hosting nuclear warheads on the country's soil.
Noting that discussions regarding the permanent deployment of US troops in Poland are continuing, Zalewski said, "We are continuing our talks about several bases and several locations where US troops will be permanently stationed in Poland."