Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk signaled that the country will in the long term seek to possess nuclear weapons, as Europe strengthens its deterrence capabilities amid concerns about the US commitment to European security.
Poland attaches great importance to nuclear security. As our autonomy capacity increases, we will strive to prepare for Poland to be able to act most autonomously on this issue in the future," Mr. Tusk said before the regular cabinet meeting on March 3.
According to the Prime Minister, Warsaw will not be passive when promoting investment in nuclear power plants.
A day earlier, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that Poland was discussing with France after President Emmanuel Macron proposed temporarily deploying fighter jets capable of carrying nuclear weapons to allied countries.
The Polish Prime Minister also said that he has contacted a number of other European allies, including Sweden and Denmark - countries that have expressed interest in this initiative.
The next round of negotiations is scheduled to take place on the sidelines of the nuclear energy summit in Paris on March 10, Mr. Tusk added.
The statements of the Polish Prime Minister show that he shares the same view as President Karol Nawrocki. Last month, the Polish President declared himself a "strong supporter of Poland's participation in the nuclear project".
However, the two leaders differ in choosing strategic partners. Mr. Nawrocki prioritizes close cooperation with President Donald Trump's US administration while Mr. Donald Tusk is increasingly leaning towards strengthening intra-European cooperation.
However, as a signatory to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons since the 1960s, Poland is committed not to seeking or possessing nuclear weapons. Last year, Warsaw signed an agreement with France, paving the way for Poland to receive protection from French nuclear missiles in the future.
