POLAND SAYS NO TO NUCLEAR WARHEADS ON ITS SOIL
Poland’s Deputy Defence Minister Pawel Zalewski has ruled out hosting nuclear warheads on Polish territory. He said this very clearly and openly when asked whether future US military presence could include nuclear capability.
Zalewski said Poland wants to participate in NATO nuclear deterrence. But that does not mean having nuclear warheads on its soil.
Poland is interested in increasing the permanent US military presence. The country has already received a green light from Washington for this.
Zalewski referenced Donald Trump’s earlier comments about sending additional troops to Poland. The US announced a six-month review of troop deployments in Europe in June.
Poland currently hosts around 10,000 US troops on a rotational basis. Warsaw wants to make this permanent. The country has proposed up to 15,000 American troops and already secured the White House’s approval for a permanent base.
Poland’s defence spending hit 4.3 percent of GDP in 2025, the highest in NATO. The country is buying American equipment including Abrams tanks, HIMARS rocket systems, Apache helicopters, and F-35 fighter jets.
Poland wants American troops. It does not want American nuclear warheads. It wants to be a frontline state. But it wants to draw the line somewhere.
If Poland can say no to nuclear weapons and still secure a permanent US base, what does that say about the balance of power in NATO. And how long before other allies start drawing their own lines.