Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.
Photo: MARTIAL TREZZINI / AP TT NEWS AGENCY
If NATO deploys nuclear weapons in Poland, these will become military targets for Russia. That’s what Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov says.
Photo: UNIVERSAL HISTORY ARCHIVE / SHUTTERSTOCK EDITORIAL/REX/IBL
Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Photo: ALEXANDER KAZAKOV/KREMLIN / POOL / EPA SPUTNIK POOL
Polish President Andrzej Duda said on Monday that Poland is ready to let the US deploy nuclear weapons in the country if NATO wants it.
– If our allies decide to deploy nuclear weapons on our territory to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank, we are ready to do so, Duda told Fakt.
The words have caused Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov to react.
– Politicians who discuss such alternatives inside and outside Poland’s borders must understand one thing – all steps in that direction will not increase security in the country, Ryabkov tells Tass.
He says NATO nuclear weapons in Poland would pose a threat to Russia’s security and warns Polish leaders not to be “impulsive.”
– Any relevant facility will inevitably become a target. And they will be at the forefront of our military plans, says Ryabkov.
“This is a very dangerous game”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has also commented on Duda’s words and said that Russia “will take all necessary countermeasures to guarantee our security”.
– Our patience is not infinite. If Poland chooses further escalation, such as the comments about nuclear weapons, it means that the situation will become even more tense. This is a very dangerous game that can have unpredictable consequences, says Ryabkov.
Duda’s words have also been commented on by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who sounds considerably less certain that Poland will allow NATO to deploy nuclear weapons in the country.
– This idea is so huge and serious that I need to know all the circumstances surrounding the president making this statement, says Tusk.
