Polish Minister of National Defense Mariusz Blaszak accused Russia of worsening the military security situation in Europe.
“We do not know exactly how events will develop, but we must definitely prepare for various scenarios, even those that are difficult and undesirable. In Europe, the security situation is subject to significant deterioration as a result of Russia’s policy, which is characterized by the constant construction of military power,” – Blaszczak said during the Warsaw Security Forum.
“Immediate threats used in foreign policy, as well as other forms of testing our defenses, which, unfortunately, have become the new normality for encircling Russia. The growth of military strength in the Western Military District, in the Baltic Sea region, also in the Black Sea and the Arctic,” which is accompanied by an increasingly advanced complex of hybrid technologies, is leading to ever stronger security challenges in Europe, “he added.
Speaking about the recent Belarusian-Russian strategic military exercises “West – 2021”, Blashchak described them as “a clear demonstration of military force by Russia.”
“These exercises primarily emphasize the preservation of the ability to control the escalation of the conflict on the border, in order to catch the enemy who will not expect it by surprise, and quickly start a possible conflict and decisively end it,” said the Polish minister.
At the same time, he called on all NATO countries “to contribute to ensuring common security.”
“Poland not only keeps spending on defense at 3% of GDP, but also exceeds it. We will increase spending on defense by 2.5% over the current decade,” the Polish minister said.