2024-04-22 20:22 update: 2024-04-23, 21:40
Photo PAP/Albert Zawada
Donald Tusk, the Polish prime minister, has said that he expects to meet President Andrzej Duda in order to discuss the president's declaration regarding the deployment of nuclear weapons in Poland.
In an interview for the Polish tabloid 'Fakt' published on Monday, President Duda said: "If our allies decide, as part of nuclear sharing, to deploy nuclear weapons on our territory in order to strengthen the security of the eastern flank of Nato, then we are prepared for this."
Tusk, referring to the president's statement, said at a press conference at the Prime Minister's Office that he was awaiting a meeting with Duda so that he could thoroughly understand the president's intentions.
"I am looking forward to meeting President Duda, because this matter directly and very clearly concerns Polish security."
He also spoke about the "need for all of the initiatives to be meticulously prepared by all those responsible" and for "all to be convinced that this is what we want."
"This is a massive and serious undertaking, so I would have to know all the circumstances that prompted the president to make this declaration."
President Duda commented in the interview that Russia was increasingly escalating the militarisation of its enclave of Kaliningrad and has been recently relocating its nuclear weapons to Belarus.
"We are an ally in the North Atlantic Alliance and we also bear obligations in this respect," he said.
Prompted by reporters about the prime minister's response, Duda said during his visit to Edmonton, Canada, later on Monday, that he would meet with Tusk to talk about the possibility of Poland joining the nuclear sharing project.
"Of course, I will meet with the prime minister," Duda said, adding that it was obvious for him that the president and prime minister "cooperate in matters related to foreign policy and whenever it is necessary."
"Nuclear sharing, which is a project aimed at building a security zone, is being implemented chiefly by the US within Nato," Duda said.
"Nuclear weapons were deployed or are being deployed as part of nuclear sharing in European Nato member countries, at least in some of them," the president concluded.(PAP)
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