Posted on 12/18/2021 7:23:35 PM PST by 11th_VA
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland's ruling party leader presented plans Tuesday for a bill to "defend the fatherland," legislation he said is aimed at "radically" strengthening the military as the country faces migration pressure from its eastern neighbor Belarus.
Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who holds the position of deputy prime minister but is undisputedly the most powerful politician in Poland, said the bill is needed due to a deteriorating international situation and also to Poland's geopolitical location. Examples he gave included neighboring "Russia's imperial ambitions" and the hybrid warfare being waged by Belarus against Poland and other European Union nations using migrants.
'If you want peace, prepare for war,'" Kaczynski said at a news conference in Warsaw.
He argued that, as a country which lies on the eastern flank of the European Union and NATO, Poland must have a serious deterrent force and the "ability to effectively defend itself for a long time on its own."
He noted NATO decisions take time to implement.
The bill, which still needs approval from parliament and the president, is aimed at replacing an existing one from 1967. At that time Poland was a member of Warsaw Pact eastern military alliance, under Moscow's control. Since 1999 it has been a member of NATO, and is regularly cited as one of the few alliance members that invest at least 2 percent of its GDP in defense.
Kaczynski said, speaking alongside Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak, that he believed the changes would also benefit NATO.
Kaczynski and Blaszczak presented a plan to increase the defense budget further and to more than double the size of the military to 250,000 soldiers, up from the current 110,000. The changes do not involve a reinstatement of compulsory military service...
(Excerpt) Read more at pbs.org ...
Wowzer - I believe that would make them the largest standing European army …
I want to know if the numbers cited are for the Polish Army or all of the Polish Armed Forces. If it is the former, then yes, the Poles would have the EU's largest standing army.
Godspeed and protect Poland..
Since Russia is also considered European( at least the part West of the Urals) I think the Russians are a little larger.
A dirty dream for the Military Industrial Complex.
Poland should wisely use a strong Military to kick the EU out of Poland and send the Muslim "Migrants" the EU loves so much, to EU/Germany.
They'll fit right in.
“Wowzer - I believe that would make them the largest standing European army …”
And I guarantee Poland will spend the Zlotys to arm and equip every one of those soldiers too, unlike the other countries in Europe.
“If you want peace, prepare for war,’” Kaczynski said”
Not a bit of ‘woke’ in that statement. Instead a REAL MAN speaking.
One country we should help protect. Trump would.
No surprise, Putin is demanding NATO withdraw from Poland and the Baltic states.
Oh Poland... How I so wanted to immigrate there and retire. Even had a nice place picked out in Bukovina. It got Californicated.
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