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Polish leaders to confer on Ukraine ahead of NATO summit

26.06.2022 16:00
Polish government ministers and military leaders are scheduled to sit down with President Andrzej Duda on Monday to discuss Russia's war against Ukraine and their country's position ahead of an upcoming NATO summit.
Polish President Andrzej Duda
Polish President Andrzej DudaTwitter/Kancelaria Prezydenta RP

The meeting is due to begin in Warsaw at 3 p.m., public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.

Presidential national security adviser Paweł Soloch said ahead of the gathering that "Poland expects that the traditional role of NATO as an alliance defending the territory of the member states will be clearly confirmed in its new strategic concept" and that "Russia will be identified as a threat."

Soloch, who heads President Andrzej Duda's National Security Bureau (BBN), also told reporters that Poland expected NATO leaders to make decisions to strengthen the alliance's eastern flank.

"We are ready to increase our own military involvement," Soloch said, adding that "President Duda also expects declarations of support for Ukraine."

Poland's Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak said in a media interview published on Saturday that his country was seeking an increased presence of NATO troops in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and that it was advocating for the deployment of a brigade-sized battle group.

Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Friday that Poland and the Baltic states wanted to see a stronger NATO defensive presence in the Suwałki Gap, a strategic stretch of land near Russia’s westernmost region of Kaliningrad.

Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Przydacz said on Thursday that Poland would call for a strengthening of the eastern flank and a new strategic NATO concept at the alliance’s summit in Madrid.

Earlier this month, the Polish government said it would push for more NATO troops on the eastern flank to be stationed in permanent bases.

The Madrid summit, scheduled for June 28-30, will feature heads of state and government from NATO’s 30 member countries, as well as representatives from Australia, Finland, Georgia, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Sweden, the European Council and the European Commission, according to officials.   

Sunday was day 123 of Russia's war on Ukraine.

(gs)

Source: IAR, PAP