In an interview with “Rzeczpospolita”, the Polish Army Chief of Staff assessed how the security situation in Poland could change after the victory of Donald Trump in the US elections.
– I don't think so. From the US perspective, forgetting that the US is a NATO member and a model country for other countries on how to build their own defense capabilities to become an effective component of allied defense systems. He said it should not. The general described Poland as a “critical point” for any security process in Central and Eastern Europe due to its geopolitical position and potential.
Polish army and the dangers of war. “Whether or not it explodes in a sense is up to us.”
“This gives us a huge opportunity to build strategic and long-term partnerships,” Kukwa added, noting the deep level of technological and tactical integration with the United States and Western countries. .
Kukla said the threat of war was “real”. – For me, the most important questions are different. In the long run, he asked whether we would be able to build resilient national systems and military capabilities to eliminate this threat, adding: “In a sense, it's up to us to decide if and when war breaks out.'' “There is,” he emphasized.
– Attacking a country that is ready to defend itself and whose society is willing to fight is a great risk. Aggression always exploits weakness, he says.
According to military officials, “Russia will be able to rebuild its war capabilities with NATO by 2029 at the latest.'' Moscow has demographic, raw material and defense industrial potential that allows it to “not only wage war, but also develop defense potential in parallel.” “The end of the conflict in Ukraine will greatly facilitate military expansion,” he said.
Meanwhile, General Kukwa pointed out that “Russia is unpredictable and if not understood, our deterrence calculations may be in vain.” He added that his mission was “the most likely scenario to effectively deter Russian aggression.”
General Wiesław Kukla talks about NATO activities. “We don't protect ourselves”
Asked when the warning lights would be turned on, a military officer said they would be turned on in the second half of 2021 “because we have received intelligence indicating that a Russian attack on Ukraine is highly likely.”
The general also pointed out that the position of the Polish military and its allies regarding the downing of drones and missiles over Ukrainian territory is “clear”. – We won't do that – he declared.
In an interview with Rzeczpospolita, the military officer also spoke about the Russian-Belarusian hybrid operation on the Polish border, the construction of the Eastern Shield, and new threats in the Baltic Sea. General Wiesław Kukla also expressed confidence that his army would receive military assistance if Poland was attacked.
– Yes, certainly. NATO is a very different organization today than it was ten years ago (…). We are never going to protect ourselves, he added. He also stressed that Poland would support Lithuania and Latvia in case of an invasion, because “that's how NATO works.”
– In terms of alliance cohesion, Poland's security begins with Estonia and the other Baltic states. Fighting for every corner of NATO is critical to the alliance's credibility. It should also not be forgotten that the defense of the Baltic states would be impossible without Poland, which is their only land link, he recalled.
Regarding the revival of universal conscription, the general said, “I am not considering such a possibility at this point.''
Glinsky talks about the US' relationship with Donald Trump on “Guest of Events”: We must mainly rely on ourselves / Polsat News / Polsat News
