- Poland’s president is asking the Trump administration to put some of the U.S. nuclear arsenal in his country. It’s a move Moscow sees as provocation but Poland’s leader said it’s necessary to protect the country.
- President Andrzej Duda told the Financial Times that it’s “obvious” President Donald Trump could send American nuclear warheads currently in western Europe and the United States to Poland.
- Duda’s request is in line with his attempts to convince Trump to restart a nuclear-sharing project rejected by the Biden administration in 2022.
Full Story
Poland’s president is asking the Trump administration to put some of the U.S. nuclear arsenal in his country.
It’s a move Moscow will certainly see as provocation but Poland’s leader said it is necessary to protect his country.
What did Poland’s president say?
President Andrzej Duda told the Financial Times that it is “obvious” President Donald Trump could send American nuclear warheads currently in western Europe or the United States to Poland. He said the action is needed because NATO’s borders have moved eastward since 1999.
“I think it’s not only that the time has come,” Duda said. “But that it would be safer if those weapons were already here.”
Duda’s request is in line with his attempts to convince Trump to restart a nuclear-sharing project rejected by the Biden administration in 2022.
Why does Poland want US nuclear weapons?
The Polish president said it is ultimately up to President Trump whether to deploy U.S. nuclear weapons. However, he pointed out that Russian President Vladimir Putin did move tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, which is an ally of Moscow and shares a border with Poland.
Duda’s request for nuclear weapons comes as Poland and other NATO nations are fearful a potential ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine could embolden Moscow, making it a bigger threat to their borders.
Who else could Warsaw turn to?
If the Trump administration or France ultimately says no to Duda, the United Kingdom could be another option. The U.K. is the only other nuclear power in Europe.
