Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said in a media interview that Poland's NATO allies expressed "no concern" about the move.
Poland on Wednesday dismissed Lt. Gen. Jarosław Gromadziński from his position as commander of the Eurocorps, a multinational military force based in Strasbourg, France, amid a counterintelligence probe.
'There is no concern between us and the allies'
"There is no concern between us and the allies," Kosiniak-Kamysz told private broadcaster TVN24 on Thursday.
"Yesterday, the French defence chief met with the chief of the General Staff of the Polish Army, Gen. Wiesław Kukuła, ... and said that this is Poland's internal matter and that this is up to us to decide," he added.
Replacement named
Poland has since appointed Lt. Gen. Piotr Błazeusz, former First Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Army, to replace Gromadziński.
Piotr Błazeusz. Photo: PAP/Radek Pietruszka
Poland's defence ministry said on Wednesday that Gromadziński's dismissal was the result of an investigation into his security clearance.
'New information about the officer'
"The Military Counterintelligence Service initiated inspection proceedings regarding the personal security clearance of Lt. Gen. Jarosław Gromadzinski in connection with obtaining new information about the officer," the Polish defence ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
"Therefore, a decision was made to dismiss Lt. Gen. Gromadzinski from his position as Eurocorps commander and his immediate return to the country," it added.
'I have nothing to reproach myself for'
Gromadziński said in an X post on Wednesday that during his 34 years of professional military service, he has "always prioritized the welfare of the military and the well-being of the homeland."
"With reference to numerous comments and speculation related to the inspection proceedings initiated by the Military Counterintelligence Service (SKW) into my security clearance, I would like to state that throughout my 34 years of professional military service, I have always prioritized the welfare of the military and the well-being of the homeland, often at the expense of my family," he said.
"I would like to declare that I have nothing to reproach myself for. I believe that the inspection procedure initiated by the Military Counterintelligence Service will end positively for me," he added.
Gromadziński had been serving as commander of Eurocorps, which is a joint military group of some EU and NATO states, since June 2023.
He previously served in Iraq and commanded Poland's 18th Mechanized Division.
He also oversaw the training of Ukrainian troops in Germany together with senior US officers, according to a report last year by public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency.
Lt. Gen. Jarosław Gromadziński. Photo: PAP/Radek Pietruszka
The Eurocorps is a multinational military force that can be used for humanitarian, rescue and peacekeeping missions by international organisations such as the European Union, NATO and the United Nations.
It is led on a rotating basis by commanders named by participating countries.
In January 2022, Poland became one of the Eurocorps’ Framework Nations, joining France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and Spain.
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Source: IAR, PAP, Reuters