Poland sees NATO Arctic mission as boosting security
Poland views NATO’s newly launched military mission in the Arctic as strengthening the security situation while not undermining the Alliance’s commitments in Europe, a deputy defence minister said on Wednesday.
Pawel Zalewski, who attended a meeting of EU defence ministers in Brussels, referred to the Arctic Sentry mission launched that day to reinforce NATO’s presence in the Arctic and the High North.
Asked whether Poland feared a shift in the Alliance’s focus from eastern Europe to the High North, Zalewski said the mission had been organised so as not to undermine NATO’s obligations to implement its existing plans in Europe. He added that the operation had been prepared by the same planners who are aware of the challenges facing eastern Europe in the context of the war in Ukraine.
"If there are concerns regarding the security of the Arctic, and NATO’s area includes the Arctic, then we are obliged to make every effort to prevent such threats," Zalewski said. "We believe this operation in the Arctic is necessary, has a positive impact on the security situation and constitutes a response to security concerns in the region," he added.
He also said that potential threats in the High North had been raised not only by the United States but also by Norway.
The mission follows a meeting between US President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte held last month in Davos, Switzerland, at which the two leaders agreed that the Alliance should assume greater joint responsibility for defending the region in view of Russia’s military activity and China’s growing interest in the area. (PAP)
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