Poland refuses to host NATO nuclear weapons on its territory

Poland does not wish to host NATO allies’ nuclear warheads on its territory. This was stated by the country’s Deputy Defense Minister Paweł Zalewski.

Politico reports this.

“I would like to say very clearly and openly: Poland does not want to have nuclear warheads on its territory. We want to participate in NATO nuclear deterrence, [which] does not mean deploying nuclear warheads on our territory,” he told journalists.

According to Politico’s assessment, Zalewski’s statement represents Warsaw’s most categorical position on the issue to date.

The outlet recalls that Poland had previously expressed skepticism about hosting nuclear weapons on its territory, while at the same time announcing the early stages of talks with the United States about a potential expansion of Washington’s nuclear deterrence in Europe. In parallel, Warsaw joined a French initiative aimed at extending Paris’s own deterrence across Europe. Polish President Karol Nawrocki, meanwhile, left open the question of how Warsaw might develop its own nuclear weapons program over time.

Politico also cites warnings from Western officials that Russia could attack NATO territory before the end of this decade. The latest U.S. intelligence, according to the outlet, indicates that an attack could occur even sooner.

Against the backdrop of these concerns, Polish Deputy Minister of National Defense Cezary Tomczyk earlier made an alarming forecast about the country’s future, stating that Poland is preparing for a possible armed conflict with Russia.

“We are preparing for war, hoping it will never come,” Tomczyk stressed.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, for his part, explained why his country supports Ukraine.

“One can debate Polish-Ukrainian relations, but no one can doubt that supporting Ukraine in the war with Russia is our security, and we are doing this for ourselves, for Polish women and men, and for no one else,” Tusk said.