Soldiers and officers carry out their mission on the Polish-Belarusian border on behalf of the Polish state. The service they undertake is not just arduous, but also inherently dangerous and high-risk. It is so, especially at a time when a hybrid war is underway, and the Belarusian regime is sending more and more illegal immigrants to the border.

We are all impressed by the situation at the border. It is crucial that we stand united on this matter, fostering an atmosphere of unwavering support for the activities of the Polish services, the Armed Forces, the Police, and the Border Guard. They are operating on the border, sometimes unfortunately sacrificing their lives, defending the Republic against various forms of aggression organised by Belarus and Russia, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said during a statement to the media.

The Head of the Government was adamant that all state organs should act to give soldiers, the Border Guard, and the Police their full support.

The soldiers want to protect the Polish border, and they do so with factual determination. As Donald Tusk stated, urgent measures were taken several hours ago, including using smoothbore weapons, to safeguard the Polish border in the Białowieża area from further mass attempts at illegal crossings.

The Prime Minister is in no doubt that the possibility of using coercion, including weapons in a threatening situation, must be evident to a Polish soldier or officer when defending the border.

Donald Tusk has decided, at the request of the Minister of Justice, to dismiss Tomasz Janeczek – the Deputy Prosecutor General responsible for the military prosecution service. The dismission requires the President's approval.

I hope that everyone will finally understand, without waiting for any more unpleasant events, that they are also responsible for the quality of the people they work with. And that they should get earnest about purging the administration at the highest levels of people who do not guarantee meaningful action. Sometimes, on the contrary – this is the impression one sometimes gets - they are somewhat prepared to act to the detriment of the Polish state, as said the Head of Government.

Prosecutor Tomasz Janeczek was nominated to the post by the previous government. Despite being placed under official supervision in a case involving soldiers suspected of overstepping their authority at the border, he stated he had not known the details of the case.

There can be no doubt that those who decide on the legal situation of soldiers must be absolutely above reproach and must work well with the Polish state to support the Polish Armed Forces when soldiers are defending the Polish border, the Prime Minister pointed out.

At the same time, Donald Tusk asked the Minister of Justice to direct the National Public Prosecutor to handle further proceedings in the soldiers' case.

The law does not illogically and unfairly affect these soldiers unless they have committed a significant offence or crime. Prosecutor Dariusz Korneluk, a seasoned professional, will assume the crucial role of overseeing the case.However, the Prosecutor General will be personally involved, as the Head of the Government has informed.

The Prime Minister also pointed out that sometimes, the lack of determination on the part of some government officials to justifiably dismiss people who do not guarantee proper performance can lead to the situation we are currently facing – we are not sure whether the military prosecutor's office has taken appropriate action in this case.

I hope that everyone draws the correct conclusions. And if not, they will say goodbye to their posts. I hope these words have reached everyone concerned, he added.

Soldiers at the border may use weapons. They act within the scope and on the basis of the law. However, specific provisions related to the use of weapons in self-defence, defending Polish territory or the border, need to be clarified. The Prime Minister has, therefore, required the Minister of Defence to prepare proposals for change.

The Prime Minister, with full confidence in the Minister of Defence's capabilities, anticipates the presentation of these proposals at the Cabinet meeting on Monday. The point is that the law should also unambiguously support the Polish soldier when he/she uses weapons in self-defence He must have a sense of legal security, Donald Tusk stressed.

Until the law is amended, the Head of the Government will expect both the prosecution service, the Military Police and the police to act in a manner that also serves Polish soldiers in accordance with the law.

I have already talked about the principle of proportionality. It seems to have been quite clearly affected. Not the rules, but the way in which the rules were used during the course of this case, which so appalled Polish public opinion. I am convinced that after this incident, both the prosecutor's office and the Military Police or the Police will also treat matters related to Polish security and the performance of Polish soldiers with a sense of this principle of proportionality, the Prime Minister added.

The immediate priority for ministers is to ensure comprehensive legal protection, a crucial aspect of which is securing the rights of Polish soldiers and officers.

The Council of Ministers will convene in Białystok on Monday, 10 June. Nonetheless, this does not close the calendar of activities in the east of Poland. A meeting of the National Security Council, convened by the President, will also take place on that day.

I will also be asking all the voivodes from the border voivodeships to talk, there in Białystok, about what we need to do at the Polish border in all the border voivodeships and about the current situation at the borders. In several places, not only there, in Podlasie, these border problems occur almost every day, the Prime Minister reported.

The Head of the Government will also hold meetings with soldiers next week.