Polish PM praises NATO's plan to strengthen eastern flank
Donald Tusk, the Polish prime minister, has said that NATO's decision to launch an "eastern sentry" to bolster defence of the alliance's eastern flank is a response to Poland's request following the incursion of its airspace by about 20 Russian drones.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced earlier on Friday that the alliance would launch an "eastern sentry" as the protection of its eastern flank was of utmost importance.
"It is of key significance for all allies to accept Poland's interpretation of all the incidents of Tuesday night when Russian drones violated Polish airspace as it is compliant with the facts," Tusk said in the Sejm, lower house of parliament, later on Friday.
The Operational Command of the Armed Forces reported that during a Russian attack on Ukraine on Tuesday night, Polish airspace had been repeatedly breached by drones. It called the incident "an act of aggression which created a real threat to the security of our citizens." Defensive procedures were immediately launched.
Tusk said that there should be no doubts who the aggressor was in this situation and that Poland and the entire eastern flank required more concentration, more forces and measures from the entire alliance. He added that there should also be no doubts what political consequences for Poland's security these incidents had.
The prime minister also said that the "eastern sentry" initiative was a direct response to Poland's request, to consultations with allies and to the violation of Polish airspace by Russian drones.
"These are exactly the declarations and decisions we have requested," he said, praising the fact that several dozen hours had passed and first decisions had already been taken.
Tusk said that it was important both for Poland and the entire NATO that all measures launched by the alliance should give Russia a clear response that "its provocations will neither be tolerated nor falsely interpreted, and that the security of allies is a boundary no one must cross."
Having thanked the European countries which decided to offer equipment and troops in order to strengthen air defence and the protection of Poland's borders, Tusk said that "the response of our allies, marked by solidarity, is what we have been waiting for."
Tusk also said that Poland, along with its NATO allies, would be seeking both long- and short-term measures to respond to threats posed by Russia, including most effective and state-of-the-art know-how.
"The test that Ukraine has been going through for years, which Poland has gone through, fortunately on an incomparably smaller scale, but it was still a brutal test, will be very useful in NATO's work on the rapid development of effective anti-drone and anti-aircraft defence," Tusk said, adding that it was very important for Poland that the security of its airspace and borders should be seen as a joint operation of the entire alliance in the face of the threat posed by Russia.(PAP)
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