Government of Poland postpones acquisition of German Patriot missiles; opposition alleges this action harms national interest.
The Polish government is still undecided about accepting Germany's offer of the free air defense system, Patriot. Opposition parties accuse the ruling party of undermining national interests. The government argues that they aim to make the best use of these weapons, for the benefit of Poland and Ukraine.
At first, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak was thrilled about Germany's offer of free Patriot rockets. However, he changed his stance after the intervention of Jarosław Kaczynski, the head of the PiS party.
Now, the official stance of both the Polish government and the party is that these should be given to Ukraine, with a deployment east of the Polish border to better protect Polish territory. Germany disagrees, stating that they cannot send their weapons into the conflict zone to avoid escalating the war.
German Ambassador to Poland, Thomas Bagger, explained in an interview with TVN24 that "it is impossible to send soldiers of a NATO country to Ukraine. We are not part of this war, and we have a clear NATO policy that NATO soldiers will not be sent there."
Meanwhile, the Polish government insists that these should be deployed on Ukrainian territory, which they believe would offer the best protection of the Polish border. Minister Błaszczak said: "The deployment of German Patriots in Ukraine is beneficial for the security of the eastern part of our country."
Despite the opposition's accusations, the government actions are viewed by some as a dangerous game with national security. The opposition leader Donald Tusk of the centrist KO (Civic Coalition) stated, "The government is playing with national security and Poland’s position in the anti-Putin coalition."
Poland is currently investing in its own Patriot systems, but training for the crews might take up to a year. Some experts believe it could even take between 11 and 15 months before it becomes fully operational.
In summary, although Germany is not offering Patriot systems to Poland, there is a significant controversy surrounding the deployment of these systems on Ukrainian territory. The opposition fears that the government's actions could potentially put Poland in a precarious position during these uncertain times.
- The Polish government, influenced by Jarosław Kaczynski, has shifted its stance on Germany's offer of free Patriot rockets, now advocating for their deployment in Ukraine to protect Polish territory.
- In an interview, German Ambassador Thomas Bagger explained that sending NATO soldiers to Ukraine is not an option due to NATO policy, stating it would be impossible for German soldiers to be part of the ongoing war.
- Minister Błaszczak argued that the deployment of German Patriots in Ukraine would be beneficial for the security of the eastern part of Poland.
- The opposition, led by Donald Tusk of the KO, accuses the ruling party of playing with national security by potentially placing Poland in a precarious position during these uncertain times.
- While Poland is investing in its own Patriot systems, it may take up to 15 months before these become fully operational, highlighting the urgent need for immediate security measures.
