In reaction to Russia’s ongoing military build-up along the Ukrainian border, Polish Leader Andrzej Duda urged NATO to deploy extra forces on its eastern borders and strengthen its air policing duty.
The warnings are there
In recent times, the US and other allied nations have voiced severe warnings about Russia’s militarization, amid fears the Kremlin is prepping for a massive invasion.
“It is vital for NATO, which is accountable for the partners’ military defense, to exercise caution and attention,” Duda said during a joint news conference with NATO Staffer Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels early Thursday.
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Duda, as well as Stoltenberg, talked about Russia’s preparations, as well as Poland’s immigration issue with Belarus.
Tyrant Alexander Lukashenko has tried to utilize migrants by urging them to come to Minsk and then pressuring them to enter illegally into Poland. Last summer, Lukashenko deployed this strategy against Lithuania for the first time.
Lukashenko’s composite war on the EU, according to Duda, should be considered as part of a series of destabilizing actions by Belarus as well as Russia, which includes a recent jump in gas prices, supply cuts, and Russian military preparation.
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“They have to work together,” Duda remarked. “It’s difficult to judge it otherwise.” In the case of Ukraine, an EU representative said, in relation to more routine movement patterns of soldiers, tanks, and other weapons systems, Russian forces seemed to be building military hospitals.
They also appear to be building other offensive capabilities not seen in prior mobilizations, such as a similar build-up all along the boundary last spring.
Stoltenberg did not respond directly to Duda’s demands for more military involvement or air patrolling. However, he did say NATO foreign ministers would examine the Russian deployment at a conference next week in Riga, Latvia.
He urged Moscow to de-escalate tensions and offered Ukraine more assistance.
This is not a normal military exercise
“We are seeing a massive and extraordinary deployment of forces, as well as harsh language and misinformation from Moscow,” Stoltenberg warned.
“As a result, we urge Russia to be more transparent, lower temperatures, and de-escalate. NATO remains alert, and we intend to provide diplomatic and practical assistance to Ukraine.”
“This does not pose a threat to Russia, and it aids Ukraine’s defense against attack.” Following consultation with their Russian equivalents in Paris earlier in the month, France’s foreign and military secretaries gave notice to Moscow about future infringements on Ukraine’s national sovereignty.
Duda stated on Thursday NATO partners are significantly better equipped to deal with the Russian menace than they were even before the 2014 invasion and takeover of Crimea.
In Poland, as well as the three Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, the alliance currently has an “increased forward deployment” of troops.
