Against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, NATO is strengthening its eastern flank. An American missile base opened in northern Poland on Wednesday. Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz spoke at the ceremony of an event of “historic significance for the security of Poland, the United States and NATO.”
“An American destroyer on Polish territory has become a fact. Based on current conflicts, for example in Ukraine or the Middle East, we can see how important air defense and missile defense are,” Kosiniak-Kamysz emphasizes.
According to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, the base in Redzikowo, about 230 kilometers from the Russian border (Kaliningrad exclave) (see map below), “strengthens our ability to respond to the growing threat of ballistic missiles from outside the Euro-Atlantic region. , considerable”. Rutte described the opening of the base to journalists in Warsaw as an “important step”.
The now-opened base has been in use since July and is part of a larger NATO protection shield, which also includes a radar system that can intercept short- and medium-range ballistic missiles. The project, first announced in 2009, was repeatedly postponed. Russia now poses the greatest security risk to NATO’s eastern flank.
Kremlin speaks of “American advance towards our borders”
Although the Redzikowo base only serves defense purposes according to the military alliance, Russia regularly speaks of a threat. The opening of the base represents “a push of US military infrastructure in Europe towards our borders,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.
Source: Krone
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