Poland is urging the United States to approve the deployment of nuclear weapons to the country as a measure to deter Russia.
The call comes amid fears of a potential threat from the Kremlin, which is accused of targeting some members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO.
In an interview published by the Financial Times on Thursday, President Andrzej Duda reiterated Poland’s request to President Joe Biden’s administration in 2022.
Duda recalled that NATO’s borders moved east in 1999 and argued that NATO infrastructure should also shift eastward.
“For me, this is obvious,” he said. “I think it’s not only that the time has come, but that it would be safer if those weapons were already here.”
The Polish leader referenced President Vladimir Putin’s 2023 announcement that Russia would move some of its warheads to Belarus.
Duda noted that Russia did not “hesitate” in moving its nuclear weapons into Belarus. “They didn’t ask anyone’s permission.”
Last week, Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed that Poland was in discussions with President Emmanuel Macron regarding his proposal to use France’s nuclear capabilities to protect Europe from Russian threats.
Russia: Poland requests US nuclear weapons
