Poland Seeks Stronger NATO Presence To Deter Russia

Poland requires a permanent and stronger NATO presence in the country due to growing concerns over Russia's military buildup on Ukraine's eastern border, the head of a Polish think tank said Thursday. 



"The recently announced measures of NATO are not enough," said Marcin Zaborowski, Director of the Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM), told the Anadolu Agency. "What is needed at that period of time is indeed a permanent presence of NATO on the territories of Baltic states or Poland or preferably both in the Baltic states and Poland."



NATO members agreed on Wednesday to increase their military presence on the eastern border in order to enhance mutual defense and as a sign of solidarity from allied Western nations. Zaborowski says NATO's decision to reinforce sky patrols in Baltic states is a positive step but more serious measures are needed.



"It is not important whether it would be one brigade or two brigades or battalions," said Zaborowski. "The issue is having a considerable permanent presence of NATO troops on the Polish territory. It is symbolically important that NATO have a presence here."



Russia has opposed Poland's call for a stronger NATO presence, claiming it would violate the 1997 Founding Act, in which NATO has promised not to station substantial combat forces in new members of the Alliance.



"It was not a legal act but a political declaration," said Zaborowski. "And the security environment has changed. We have completely different security environment than we had in 1997. We had Russia breaking international law invading territory of another country which is between Poland and Russia."



He says that while Poland can seek protection from NATO, the same measures cannot be used as a deterrent to Russia invading Ukraine. 



"Ukraine is not a member of NATO. What we might consider at this point in time can be helping Ukrainians with providing equipment, with advice, with intelligence sharing, with exercising diplomatic and political pressure on Russia," he said.



"If the US is prepared to truly lead on this issue, the rest of the West would follow. But at this point in time US has not really decided whether it is prepared to take a real leadership in responding to the Russian challenge and the Russian threat." - Berlin