Kremlin: Russia will respond to US military base in Poland
The Russian Defense Ministry will take counteractive measures if a US military base is established in Poland, first deputy chairman of the Federation Council defense and security committee Yevgeny Serebrennikov told RIA Novosti.
According to him, the Russian diplomatic community intends to warn the US of the consequences of this decision, or to persuade Poland to renounce it. However, despite the diplomatic efforts, the Defense Ministry is prepared to take counteractive measures.
Serebrennikov did not specify what these measures would be, noting only that they would be intended to reinforce Russia’s security. The senator believes that the expansion of the North Atlantic Alliance and the consolidation of its forces along Russia’s borders is both “undesirable and illegal”.
Federation Council defense and security committee chairman Viktor Bondarev said that a US military base in Poland could not create a real threat to Russia’s security, but it could destabilize the situation in Eastern Europe.
Bondarev added that the US is getting the whole world “worked up” on account of “Russian aggression”. He believes that through this deal, if it takes place, Washington will enrich itself economically and strengthen its own military and political positions, by expanding its presence in the eastern European macro-region. “$2 billion is no small sum for the Polish budget. And if such a decision is implemented, Poland will lose out not only financially, but also politically and strategically,” the senator concluded.
The Polish news portal Onet reported earlier with reference to an official document that Warsaw is prepared to invest up to $2 billion in the creation of a permanent US military base in Poland. The Polish defense department believes that the base will help to deter “Russian aggression”.
Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that this is Poland’s sovereign decision, commenting that the Kremlin’s reaction will depend on what kind of base it is.
First deputy chairman of the Federation Council committee on foreign affairs Vladimir Dzhabarov told RBC that Poland’s decision is a “dangerous initiative” and will make Poland a primary target in a possible conflict. “By deploying a base, Poland will become the target of a response strike,” he said.
At the end of April, the Pentagon did not exclude the possibility of expanding the US contingent in Poland. In March, Warsaw bought Patriot anti-air defense systems from Washington for $4.75 billion. The weapons will be shipped in 2022.