Great Britain increases the number of troops in Poland
07.02.2022
“An additional 350 soldiers will be deployed to Poland. They will strengthen the already present 100 soldiers from the engineering troops who, together with Polish soldiers, protect the Polish-Belarusian border. Poland and the United Kingdom are ready through the policy of deterrence discourage the aggressor from further actions” - said Mariusz Błaszczak, Minister of National Defence during his visit to London.
On Monday, February the 7th, Minister Mariusz Błaszczak and the Secretary of Defence of the United Kingdom, Ben Wallace, during the meeting, discussed matters related to the threats from Russia towards Ukraine and Central European countries, and the situation in Belarus. The next stages of military cooperation between Poland and Great Britain became also one of the conversation points, in particular those concerned the development of the Polish Army's capabilities in the area of armaments and cybersecurity.
"In November, in Poland, we signed a letter of intent regarding cooperation when it comes to short-range anti-aircraft missiles. We are now working on the preparation of the Memorandum of Understanding regarding that cooperation. We are on the right track to finalize such kind of cooperation" - said the head of the Ministry of National Defence.
"We also talked about cybersecurity. My delegation includes the commander of the cyberspace defence forces that have just been created. We are open when it comes to sharing experiences. Cyber threats know no borders, so cooperation in that area is very beneficial for both our countries" - emphasized the minister.
The minister expressed his gratitude for strengthening NATO's eastern flank by sending more British soldiers to Poland.
"We are grateful for such a quick response from Ben, from the United Kingdom government when Poland was attacked by the Lukashenka regime. The hybrid attack is still taking place. We appreciate the presence of British troops on Polish territory" - said the head of the Ministry of National Defence.
"I would like to thank Poland and the Baltic states that, together with Great Britain, they decided to make a joint effort to increase solidarity towards Ukraine, to cooperate with Ukraine, not only to talk about it, but also to act, for example through joint exercises, trainings or weapons delivery. In this spirit of solidarity, in order for us to face these challenges together, I would like to announce that Great Britain will send 350 additional troops to Poland, as a part of bilateral cooperation, in order to show our strong cooperation at the same time, but also to send a clear and decisive signal against a potential aggressor" - said Secretary Wallace.
The head of the Ministry of National Defence also participated in the award ceremony at the Polish Embassy in London. The minister awarded members of organisations working to cultivate the memory of the heritage of the Polish Army from the Second World War with the Medal of the Polish Army. There were the Cichociemni Association, the 307 Squadron Association and representatives of the Polish Air Force Association among the distinguished guests.
"Thank you for your activity, which is focused, among others, on commemorating Polish pilots from World War II. Thank you for devoting some of your free time to remind us of those great events and important people" - said the minister.
During his visit to London, the head of the Ministry of National Defence laid a wreath at the Gen Władysław Sikorski statue.
