On October 12-14 Deputy Prime Minister Mariusz Błaszczak is participating in the meeting of NATO defense ministers, which is held at the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance Headquarters in Brussels.

Prior to today’s session of the North Atlantic Council was held a meeting of the Nuclear Planning Group, and a bilateral meeting between Deputy Prime Minister Błaszczak and Kajsa Ollongren, Minister of Defense of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

 “The first session was about an exercise aimed at nuclear deterrence, which will be held later this month. We know that Putin is making threats of using nuclear weapons. NATO's response is an exercise, one of many, but very important in this context, to present its nuclear capabilities and to deter. The United States plays the main part, but Poland, using the conventional means that we have, will participate in this exercise as well. This is a significant answer to the threats presented by Moscow "

- emphasized the head of the Ministry of National Defense.

On Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister Błaszczak took part in a session of the North Atlantic Council, at which the heads of NATO defense ministries discussed the impact of Russia's unprovoked aggression against Ukraine on the security of the Euro-Atlantic area. The ministers summarized the foregoing steps taken to strengthen NATO's capabilities to deter and defend on the eastern flank, including increasing the readiness of allied forces.

 “I wish to mention that NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in his speech emphasized the importance of support given to the countries that aid the Ukrainian cause – Poland included. It proves the unity of the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance, and good capability to identify threats and prepare an appropriate response to them"

- said Deputy Prime Minister Błaszczak after the meeting of the North Atlantic Council.

An important part of the talks was the development of defense capabilities and the NATO countries’ defense industry’s potential. The issue of the protection of allied countries' critical infrastructure was discussed as well.

One of the sessions, attended by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security, concerned  NATO missions and operations, the tense situation in Kosovo and Iraq, and the extending the mandate for the European Union mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina - “Althea”.

“The third session concerned missions abroad, mostly NATO missions. Poland is highly active in this field. The significant role of Poland as the organizer of Ukrainian training under the flag of the European Union was emphasized. The command devoted to providing training for Ukrainian soldiers will be established in Poland next month. This is extremely important as training is a key element in strengthening Ukraine’s capabilities. And strong Ukraine means also the security of Poland and all NATO countries. "

- stressed the Deputy Prime Minister.

When asked about today’s letter of intent on the joint purchase of air defense systems, the head of the Ministry of National Defense emphasized that Poland, in cooperation with the United Kingdom, already develops its own system.

 “We share the project with the United Kingdom. And we have the first components of it already: the Sky Saber and the “Small Narew” systems. A few weeks ago, together with Ben Wallace, I had the opportunity to participate in the ceremony of handing over the first set to the Polish Armed Forces. The next set will be ready at the beginning of next year. So it means that Poland has such a weapon. This tool was built in collaboration with the United Kingdom. I am convinced that our potential is greater than the plans presented today. That is thanks to the fact that CAMMs, the rockets used in "Small Narew", are adapted to the IBCS system and Patriot battery, both already owned by Poland. We have a complete multi-layer air-defense environment. (...) We are ahead of these plans by several years. I would like to remind you that I signed the agreement on the Patriot system back in 2018. This contract also concerned the acquisition of the IBCS system. Tomorrow, we will be able to present the first effects of our work, tomorrow, at the training grounds in Toruń, we will present the first ready-to-defend Polish sky Patriot set. We are prepared to share our experiences "

- he said.

On October 14 the head of the Ministry of National Defense is taking part in the meeting of B9 Group defense ministers. Additionally, it will be participated by the US Secretary of Defense. The main subjects are the security situation on NATO's eastern flank, support for Ukraine, and the modernization of the armed forces.

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Poland remains one of the most active donor countries supporting Ukraine, both in terms of aid for residents and supplying military equipment. The total value of Polish donations is estimated at 1.7 billion USD.