Poland should soon have strongest NATO army in Europe, says president
Poland's President Karol Nawrocki said on the Polish Armed Forces Day that the Polish army should soon become the first strongest NATO armed forces in Europe.
Addressing the gathering at the Pilsudskiego Square in Warsaw on August 15, the 105th anniversary of the victorious Battle of Warsaw which helped in 1920 defend Poland's newly regained independence and upheld the democratic order of the whole of Europe, Nawrocki said that independence was not only a precious asset but also very expensive one.
"Taking care of our independence is our most important task today. ... We have to make all effort and use all measures to make Poland secure, to make the Polish Armed Forces develop and modernise themselves, and to increase the number of Polish troops," he added.
Nawrocki said that "in the short run, Poland should have the first strongest NATO force in Europe, not the third strongest one," and declared that he would spare no effort to achieve this goal.
Referring to the Battle of Warsaw, he said that Poland had won at that time owing to the unity and community not only of political parties but also thanks to the unity of all social groups, including farmers, students, soldiers and volunteers.
He added that August 15 had always been awakening the spirit of freedom and victory in the Polish people, and that, in 1920, Poland had defeated Soviet and Bolshevik anti-civilisation.
"This was a victory for Poland, for Europe, and for the world," Nawrocki said, adding that it had left a beautiful and important teaching for the Polish people.
He declared he would demand that talks on Poland's defence spending should end and that a decision raising it to 5 percent of GDP should be taken with no delay as "this is required by Poland's security."
He also said that he would support all legislative and formal measures leading to the construction of ammunition manufacturing facilities in Poland.
"Poland should be able to produce a million 155mm artillery rounds and half a million tank projectiles a year. We must have our own Polish ammunition," he said.
Nawrocki also said that he wanted to sign, jointly with the prime minister, a cross-party obligation regarding a security constitution of Poland
"We must, along with the government, the prime minister and the deputy prime minister (who is also the defence minister - PAP), to focus on the fundamental strategic documents of the national security strategy," he said, adding that it was only Poland's reason of state that should be taken into account while defining this strategy.
August 15 was Polish Armed Forces Day between 1923 and 1947, and has been again from 1992 to the present, as it is the date of Poland's unexpected but important victory over the Red Army in the Battle of Warsaw. In the wake of the following Polish advance eastward, the Soviets sued for peace and a ceasefire was sealed in October 1920.(PAP)
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