On June the 15th  and 16th , the head of the Ministry of National Defence participated in a meeting of NATO defence ministers, which took place at the North Atlantic Alliance Headquarters in Brussels. The talks focused on the effects and impact of Russia's aggression on Ukraine on Euro-Atlantic security.

Minister Blaszczak started his two-day visit by participating in the meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group. The Working Group is an initiative with the participation of the representatives of more than 40 countries led by the USA, which aims to coordinate aid to Ukraine.

“This group was established by the United States, it is the initiative of Lloyd Austin, the US Secretary of Defence. Its task is to support Ukraine. The Minister of Defence of Ukraine, Oleksii Reznikov, was present at this meeting. (...) We are all aware that if Russia conquers Ukraine, it will not stop but go on further. The Kremlin's goal is to restore the Russian Empire. We are dealing with activities that constitutes war crimes committed by Russia on the territory of Ukraine. We cannot allow this war to spread any further. We support Ukraine so that can repel attacks and Russian invasion"

- said the head of the Ministry of National Defence at a press conference.

The head of the Ministry of National Defence emphasized that it is necessary to increase support for Ukraine, and the public opinion must be aware of the importance of this support for the security of the whole of Europe.

“We also talked about filling the gaps that undoubtedly arise among countries that donate armaments to Ukraine. Poland is one of the countries that have the greatest contribution to supporting Ukraine, as emphasized by Minister Reznikov. We can be proud that the Ukrainians who are bravely fighting for their freedom are supported by Poland, and are supported by NATO countries and countries cooperating with NATO. We do not want to get only an impression that the public opinion is tired of the war, that the public thinks that it will go some way. This is a very dangerous phenomenon of rebuilding the Russian Empire in Europe. The Russian Empire threatened and has threatened the freedom of European states. Therefore, one must firmly oppose aggression. I raised also issue to increase the scope of support for Ukraine. Saying it directly - not all states engage relatively to their capabilities. There are countries that have much greater opportunities than achievements, but this is also known to the public, therefore I hope that the third meeting will be an inspiration for defence ministers of those countries that can do more"

- said the head of the Ministry of National Defence. 

The Minister recalled that Poland is not only a security recipient, but also contributes to strengthening the defence capabilities of the entire Alliance.

“We are ready to participate more in the duties related to ensuring the security of NATO countries. These are real actions, and Poland is active and active, and will be active in supporting the countries of the North Atlantic Alliance. We develop our military capabilities. The Polish Army is more numerous every year and equipped with modern equipment and weapons. This is the best method to deter the aggressor"

- he stressed.

On the sidelines of NATO Ministerial minister Błaszczak met with his Norwegian counterpart Bjørn Arild Gram.

During the second day (June the 16th ) of the meeting of NATO defence ministers, held at the North Atlantic Alliance Headquarters in Brussels, the decisions to be presented during the June summit in Madrid were discussed. For Poland, the arrangements to strengthen the Alliance's deterrence and defence posture, as well as to increase NATO's common budgets, were of particular importance.

On that day, the head of the Ministry of National Defence participated in the sessions: working with partners (Georgia, Finland, Sweden, Ukraine, EU), the topic of which was the security situation in Europe, and with allies on the adaptation of deterrence and defence mechanisms and supply chains of military equipment.

“We talked about the help that NATO countries provide to Ukraine. We also talked about support for Georgia and Sweden and Finland joining NATO. Today, the working sessions were related to the Alliance's adaptation to the challenges we face. It was a session where we talked about the prospects for adopting NATO's new strategic concept. In two weeks' time in Madrid, the heads of state and government will be adopting the document. The main issue that was raised is the proportion between the forces present in the region and the forces ready to strengthen, for example, NATO's Eastern Flank"

- the minister pointed out.

“From the Polish point of view, our attention was obviously focused on the Eastern Flank. The next session was devoted to the common NATO budget. Such important information, meaningful information. NATO's budget is lower now than it was in the early 1990s. Today there is war right on the border of the NATO state. There was no war then”

- emphasized the head of the Ministry of National Defence.

“In that context, Poland has declared for increasing the NATO budget in projects that we will jointly finance. I also presented Poland's achievements in this matter. The Act on the  defence of the Motherland, which is the foundation on which we are building this entire structure related to deterring and strengthening the Polish Army”

- recalled the minister.

"We also talked about our efforts. I can say that other NATO countries are making a lot of effort to increase defence spending, to increase their activity, to deter the aggressor"

- added.

Minister M. Błaszczak also participated in the meeting of defence ministers of the Visegrad Group countries with the participation of the British Secretary of Defence. He also had a meeting with his Spanish counterpart.

During the meeting of the heads of national defence of NATO countries, the head of the Polish Ministry of Defence signed a cooperation agreement in the field of defence cooperation between the governments of Poland and Albania and presented the Polish Army Gold Medal to Patrick Turner,the outgoing Assistant Secretary General for Defence Policy and Planning as a thank you for his special contribution to the work of deterrence and defence on the Eastern Flank.

Referring to the second day of meetings and talks in Brussels, the minister noted that the talks were mainly focused on the significant enhancement of the Alliance's potential.

“We are talking about reinforcement, these are serious discussions. Poland is active not only as a recipient of security, but also as a security giver. We are strengthening our army”

- he said.

“Soon I will present a plan to strengthen the Polish Army, assuming the establishment of two more divisions. I also spoke during my speech about the fact that we buy modern weapons, including negotiating, among others purchase of helicopters from PZL Świdnik. We use the opportunities that are available within the North Atlantic Alliance and those countries that are in close relations with NATO”

- emphasized the head of the Ministry of National Defence.

GALLERY - >> NATO countries on support for Ukraine

GALLERY - >> Meeting of NATO defence ministers