Poland in NATO

On the first day, the head of the Ministry of National Defense participated in the meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, as well as in the talks of defense ministers with representatives of transatlantic defence industry. The meetings preceded the July NATO Summit in Vilnius, where the heads of state and government are to discuss and adopt a package of decisions. For Poland, issues related to deterrence and defense on the eastern flank are particularly important.

The Ukraine Defence Contact Group which coordinates support for Ukraine was initiated by the US in March 2022 at the US Air Force Base in Ramstein, in response to the Russian Federation's attack on Ukraine. Poland remains one of the most active donor countries, both in terms of aid for residents and supplies of military equipment, the value of which is estimated at over EUR 2.5 billion.

During the ministerial session, an annex to the memorandum on the Multinational Ammunition Warehousing Initiative (MAWI) was signed, which included four more countries in the program: Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany and Luxembourg. The goal of MAWI is to provide the armed forces of Allied countries with uninterrupted access to ammunition resources by creating a network of warehouses. This is a key issue for securing the operations of the troops during the operation. Poland has been a participant in this program since February this year.

The Deputy Prime Minister also participated in a meeting with representatives of the transatlantic defense industry, to which the European Union, Sweden and Ukraine were also invited. It was an opportunity for consultations between defense ministers and armaments manufacturers on strengthening the supply chain, ensuring their security and discussing possible barriers to industrial cooperation.

The head of the Ministry of National Defense also referred to the current security situation in the region.

- We condemn all actions that are taken by Russia, which end in war crimes. Undoubtedly, blowing up the dam on the Dnieper is such an action. This is a real threat to thousands of people. This is also an ecological threat. We condemn such actions. Undoubtedly, we also assess these actions as an attempt to stop the Ukrainian counter-offensive or to slow it down. (…) We support Ukraine so that after the conquest of Ukraine, Russia would not go further. Because there is no doubt that these are the intentions of Russia, these are the intentions of Putin - noted the head of the Ministry of National Defence.

During his visit to Brussels, the Deputy Prime Minister also talked with the Norwegian Minister of Defense about the current Polish-Norwegian military cooperation, as well as support for Ukraine, including the training of Ukrainian soldiers.

On Friday, June 16, as part of the second day of the meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels, the head of the Ministry of National Defense took part in a meeting of the North Atlantic Council on deterrence and defense at the Alliance Headquarters.

 

Ministery of National Defence