Kremlin slams comments by Polish deputy prime minister.
By David Hellerman, World Israel News
Poland drew Russian ire when deputy prime minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski said he was “open” to hosting nuclear weapons.
‘If the Americans asked us to store U.S. nuclear weapons in Poland, we would be open to that. It would significantly increase deterrence towards Moscow,” Kaczynski told the German paper Welt am Sonntag. “With or without nukes, Poland is wanting to see a large operational NATO command in Poland.”
Kaczynski, who is also leader of Poland’s ruling Truth and Justice party, stressed that the idea of hosting nuclear weapons is not currently under consideration.
NATO’s tactical nuclear weapons are currently stationed in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey. Britain and France have their own nuclear weapons.
Kaczynski also told the German paper that Warsaw would welcome a 50 percent increase in the number of U.S. soldiers stationed in Europe
“Poland would be pleased if the Americans increased their presence in Europe from the current 100,000 soldiers up to 150,000 in the future due to Russia’s increasing aggressiveness,” he said.
“Of these, 75,000 soldiers should be stationed on the eastern flank; ie, on the border with Russia; 50,000 soldiers in the Baltic states and Poland.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticized Kaczynski’s comments, saying they would raise tensions.