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Polish-American relations strengthen security on NATO's eastern flank

21.11.2023

“We talked about Polish-American cooperation in the context of the war in Ukraine and, in the context of the Russian aggression in Ukraine. I would like to emphasize very strongly that Polish-American relations are crucial for the security of our country and the entire NATO’s eastern flank. One can say that Poland is the most important ally of the United States on the eastern flank of NATO, as evidenced by approximately 10,000 American troops are stationed on Polish soil. Before 2015, there were only a few or several dozen soldiers" - said Mariusz Błaszczak, Minister of National Defense after a meeting with the United States Secretary of Defense.

Polish-American relations strengthen security on NATO's eastern flank

On Tuesday, November 21, the head of the Ministry of National Defense met with the United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. They discussed, among others, bilateral military cooperation and the security situation in the region.

I presented our view regarding the emphasis on NATO. I stated that any competition between the EU and NATO in the context of security is very bad for security. I also want to emphasize very strongly that from the point of view of Poland's security, it is very important that national states, and not some imaginary European army, are responsible for defense, and that their [national states] responsibilities  are not transferred to the level of the European Union. This would be very dangerous should the letter of  treaties change. There will be a vote on this topic in the European Parliament this week. The transfer of these competences from the national level to the European level threatens the security of our homeland, Poland

– emphasized the head of the Ministry of National Defense.

During a meeting with soldiers in Rzeszów, the Minister of National Defense and the US Secretary of Defense thanked them for their service, allowing for the stream to aid to Ukraine,defending herself against Russian aggression, can flow without inrerruptions.

The airport in Rzeszów is a symbolic place due to the cooperation of Polish and American soldiers, and strategically important from the point of view of assistance being provided to Ukraine fighting the Russian invasion. This is where a significant portion of support is sent, coming from, among others, Poland and the United States.

Thanks to great relations with the United States, the Polish Army is equipped with modern weapons. Examples include Abrams tanks, but also Himars launchers. We talked with Lloyd Austin about Apache helicopters, which will commence their service in the Polish Armyed Forces next year. Polish pilots are already undergoing their training in the USA. It is worth emphasizing that not all allies of the United States have the opportunity to obtain this most modern equipment. We can point here to the IBCS system, supporting Patriots. This is a system that is exclusively the United States Army and the Polish Army are equipped with. Also, the latest version of Abrams tanks will only be used by the Polish Army and the American Army. This is proof of our close cooperation

- noted Minister M. Błaszczak after the meeting.

***

Poland was and is a key ally of the United States. Proof of this is the presence of American troops in Poland and the multi-faceted cooperation of both our countries.

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