Poland Wants to Deploy Nuclear Weapons on Its Territory

Mateusz Morawiecki, Prime Minister of Poland, said that his country would like to join the nuclear exchange programme among NATO countries in view of Russia's intentions to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.

As Polsat News reports, Morawiecki confirmed after the summit in Brussels that Warsaw is interested in participating in this programme.

"The final decision will depend on our American and NATO partners. We declare our will to act quickly in this matter," the Polish prime minister said.

Morawiecki stressed that "we do not want to sit idly by while Putin escalates all sorts of threats."

Nuclear sharing is NATO's nuclear deterrence programme. It allows the provision of nuclear warheads to Allies that do not have their own nuclear weapons. Since November 2009, as part of the programme, US nuclear weapons have been deployed in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Türkiye.

On 25 May, the defence ministers of Russia and Belarus signed documents on the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory. 

On Friday 16 June, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the first Russian tactical nuclear warheads are already in Belarus and the final transfer will be completed by the end of the year.