Polish President Andrzej Duda said that the newly appointed NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte should prioritize strengthening the eastern flank of the alliance, strengthening the military presence and expanding the infrastructure, the Polish news agency PAP reported, quoted by BTA.
In a speech to the Warsaw Security Forum today, the president identified two main topics for discussion: “How to help Ukraine win the war and how to strengthen our capabilities to ensure the security and stable development of our countries”.
According to Duda, Poland wants an “increased deployment of NATO forces on the eastern flank, especially regarding air defense systems”, along with “additional forces on high alert according to the allied defense plans” and “strengthening armed forces and infrastructure to offer logistical support for collective defense operations”.
„I believe that this will be among the main priorities for the newly appointed NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who takes up his post today”, the president said.
He reiterated his call for NATO member states to allocate at least 3% of their GDP to defense. “The current circumstances require this from us”, noted Duda.
He added that, given the increased threat from Russia, during its rotating presidency of the European Union, Poland will prioritize the strengthening of relations between the EU and the US
„The only thing we need to win the current confrontation with Russia is the will to act and pay the price. Therefore, maintaining transatlantic unity is vital”, concluded Duda.