Poland: NATO forces will remain on the eastern flank at least until 2022
The North Atlantic Alliance will maintain its presence on the eastern flank at least until 2022, said Polish President Andrzej Duda at the briefing at the end of the NATO summit.
“Currently we’re talking about 2022,” he pointed out in response to the relevant question. “NATO’s activity there is needed. The situation in the area of security is changing,” he stressed.
According to Duda, nobody is calling into question the principle of collective defense. “There was no vote to stop supporting each other or to withdraw forces from Poland, Romania and the Baltic states, where they have been deployed,” the president said.
Earlier, Polish Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz emphasized that NATO forces will remain in the republic as long as the threats on its safety originating with Russia persist.
During the summit, Warsaw said that it is prepared to increase the republic’s participation in the fight against terrorism. “We have declared that we are prepared to bolster our presence in Iraq, to collaborate in the matter of supporting the renovation of the Iraqi army’s weaponry, prepared to consider bolstering the presence of our forces in the Middle East,” he said. “There is nothing concrete, no numbers have been given,” Macierewicz emphasized.
As Macierewicz explained, the republic will suggest to the NATO general secretary that Poland take a leading role in the “mission to educate Iraqi technicians and engineers who will renovate and adapt their Russian equipment”. “A large part of the education will be realized in Poland,” he said.