Polish FM says public warnings should deter Russia from provocations
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said in an interview with the US television network CNN on Monday that public warnings, including those issued by him, when it comes to Russia's potential provocations, should deter Moscow from such aggressive actions.
"Russia cannot attack NATO in force," Sikorski said. "As long as Ukraine is bravely resisting,[Russian President Vladimir] Putin cannot invade even the Baltic states... But what they are capable of is some kind of provocation, using false flags and drones, maybe Ukrainian drones, and then pretending to be responding to our fake, non-existing attack. They played those kind of games.
"And we have to be prepared," he continued. "We have to tell them - and this is what we're doing - that we know that they are up to no good.
"So I hope that these warnings mean that Putin doesn't press the button on a provocation," Sikorski said.
The Polish foreign minister also said Warsaw still trusted the US security guarantees and was making diplomatic efforts to increase the US permanent military presence in Poland.
He said that Poland already has "US troops on our soil and we're asking for more, including a second permanent base. We already have a missile defence base which protects mainly America but also Europe" as he referred to the anti-ballistic missile site in Redzikowo, northern Poland.
Sikorski acknowledged the fact that the US was going to reduce its military presence in Europe, saying that Washington "is requiring us in Europe to have more conventional capabilities" while reserving for itself the role of the "cavalry over the hill." (PAP)
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