Poland’s defense minister on why there is no alternative to NATO.
Mariusz Błaszczak is Poland’s minister of national defense.
The presidential election in the United States naturally enlivened the debate on the future of transatlantic ties and the role of NATO and the U.S. in ensuring European security. In my opinion, the basic principles, values and agreements on which the West’s defense cooperation is based remain unchanged: There is no alternative to an alliance between Europe and the U.S.
Europe’s alliance with the U.S. within NATO and the presence of U.S. troops on the Continent is the basic foundation of our common security. For individual European countries, this requires an honest and responsible fulfillment of our obligations towards the alliance. Poland has been fulfilling these in full since 2015. Our embrace of the alliance is due to our close ties with the U.S. for many generations, combined with our historical experience and our deep knowledge of the threat of aggressive Russian policy. A number of other Central and Eastern European countries have similar experiences, and they fully share our point of view.
Some political circles in the West may not understand our experiences, and on this basis they have hastily drawn the conclusion that the alliance with the U.S. is no longer needed. We are counting on a responsible reappraisal of this matter. We must be closer to the U.S. than ever before. The EU’s common security policy should be compatible with and complement our alliance within NATO — not constitute an alternative to it.
Poland has always taken the same position on this matter, and it remains unchanged. We are pleased with the recent change in messaging among our key European allies, especially the Germans. I fully agree with my German colleague Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer that Europe cannot replace the U.S.’s key role as a security provider and that we should abandon illusions of “European strategic autonomy.”
Another element that guarantees the security of Europe is the U.S.’s nuclear deterrence policy. Without it, the balance on our Continent would be upset, significantly increasing the risk of aggression from Russia — a country that has been openly undermining the global and regional security order.
Russia is increasing its offensive potential directed at the West. By commissioning the SSC-8 / 9M729 cruise missiles, Moscow violated the INF treaty on the elimination of medium and short-range missiles. At the same time, it has significant stocks of tactical nuclear weapons that are not subject to treaty regulations. In this context, the U.S. “nuclear umbrella” is the only credible way to maintain balance in Europe.
For years, Poland has been striving to increase the American military presence in our country and the entire region. However, we do not want to do this at the expense of reducing the security of other European countries. This would be disloyal to our European partners and would weaken the defense capabilities of NATO’s eastern flank.
We think of security as a common Euro-Atlantic interest. This is why our bilateral military cooperation with the U.S. is fully agreed and accepted within NATO and is an integral part of the alliance’s common defense policy.
Poland is a key player in protecting NATO’s sensitive eastern flank. The importance we give to the political and military involvement of the U.S. in Europe is evidenced by the agreement on enhanced defense cooperation signed by Poland and the U.S. in August this year. It allowed the number of American soldiers stationed in our country as part of enduring presence to increase to 5,500.
The U.S. Army’s V Corps has already established its forward headquarters in Poland. And since January 1, 2020, Poland has been the framework nation for the land component of NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF), the core of which is our 21st Podhale Rifles Brigade. At the same time, the Special Forces Component from Krakow is the backbone of the NATO’s Special Operations Component Command this year.
As required by NATO, we allocate 2 percent of our GDP for defense, and we plan to increase this amount. We understand that while we expect security from our allies, including the U.S., we must loyally fulfill our commitments. At the same time, we have been actively involved in the common security and defense policy of the European Union for 15 years. Periodically, our units are on duty within the EU Battle Groups. Poland is also involved in the EU’s Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) integration effort.
Polish-American relations are the best they’ve ever been. Poles support the presence of U.S. troops in our country and welcome their increased numbers with enthusiasm. The importance of Poland’s strategic partnership with the U.S. has been noted by both Republican and Democratic politicians. Many times in Congress, I have spoken with representatives of both parties, and they have always taken an unequivocal position on this matter, fully understanding the threats and the need to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank.
We are convinced that the U.S. will continue to engage in the defense of Europe and our region. But as allies, we cannot expect the U.S. to guarantee our security without real commitment from our side of the Atlantic. As Europeans we must continue to work within NATO and strengthen our alliance with Washington. We need each other and we all have equal responsibility for our common future.
Source: politico.eu 25 Nov. 2020
