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By Ellie Cook
Senior Defense Reporter
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Poland is "ready" to host NATO nuclear weapons should the alliance move to reinforce its eastern flank bordering Russia, Warsaw has said.
"If our allies decide to deploy nuclear weapons as part of nuclear sharing also on our territory to strengthen the security of NATO's eastern flank, we are ready for it," Polish President Andrzej Duda told Polish outlet Fakt in an interview published on Monday.
More than two years of war in Ukraine has spurred NATO countries in eastern Europe—close to Russian territory—to invest heavily in their military strength, although they do not possess nuclear weapons. In the alliance, the U.S., the United Kingdom and France have nuclear weapons, but several European bases host U.S. tactical nuclear weapons.
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Russia, which has the world's largest nuclear arsenal, said in June 2023 that it had started transferring tactical nuclear weapons to one of its key allies, Belarus. Russia used Belarus as a springboard for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Belarus borders NATO countries Poland and Latvia.
Poland and NATO member Lithuania also border the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, home to a significant Russian military presence and Moscow's Black Sea Fleet. The Kremlin is "increasingly militarizing" Kaliningrad, Duda said.
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The U.S. and Poland have been discussing the possibility "for some time," Duda said. When approached for comment on Monday, the Pentagon referred Newsweek to the Polish government.
"In the context of a worsening security situation, especially threats posed by the Russian Federation, including in the nuclear sphere, NATO nuclear deterrence is an important factor in ensuring the security of Poland and the entire Alliance," the Polish Defense Ministry told Newsweek in a statement.
Warsaw supports NATO's "actions and initiatives" designed to strengthen the alliance's nuclear deterrent, not least the "nuclear sharing" program, the government said. The program refers to leveraging nuclear weapons for the collective defense of all the alliance's members.
"These issues are a matter of continuous consultations between Allies, on the forum of NATO as well as bilaterally, in which Poland takes active part," the Polish Defense Ministry said.
The war in Ukraine pulled nuclear weapons back into the spotlight. As Russian troops poured into Ukraine in late February 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin placed Russia's nuclear deterrence forces on high alert. Months later, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the risks of nuclear conflict were now "considerable."
Prominent Russian officials, such as former President Dmitry Medvedev, and Russian state television commentators have frequently mentioned the prospect of nuclear war. Some state media hosts and guests have suggested that Moscow should launch nuclear strikes on countries, such as the U.S. and U.K, that support Kyiv's war effort.
"The idea of nuclear conflict, once unthinkable, has become a subject of debate," United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said in September 2022. "This in itself is totally unacceptable."
Vladimir Putin "has brandished his country's nuclear sword in an attempt to compel Ukraine to capitulate to Russia's demands and to deter NATO from intervention," NATO said in November 2022.
In March 2024, Putin said Russia's weapons systems were "ready" for nuclear confrontation with NATO as discussions swirled around the potential deployment of alliance troops to Ukraine.
Update 4/22/2024 at 6:20 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Update 4/22/2024 at 7:45 a.m. ET: This article was updated with a response from the Pentagon.
Update 4/22/2024 at 10:20 a.m. ET: This article was updated with a response from the Polish Defense Ministry.
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