Polish leader confesses actual objective of US missile base
Date
11/14/2024 7:27:59 AM
(MENAFN) Polish President Andrzej Duda has acknowledged that the real purpose of the Aegis Ashore missile defense base in Redzikowo is not to protect against threats from Iran, but to strengthen Poland’s alignment with the United States and distance it from Russian influence. The facility, located on the Baltic Sea coast, was initially proposed in the early 2000s after the U.S. withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty. At the time, Washington assured Moscow that the bases in Romania and Poland were not aimed at Russia but were intended to counter threats from “rogue states” like Iran and North Korea.
During the opening ceremony of the Redzikowo base on Wednesday, Duda quoted former Polish President Lech Kaczynski, who had once said that the missiles would not defend Poland, but would instead protect distant regions, such as those potentially threatened by Iran. Kaczynski also emphasized that the facility would be an American base, with significant U.S. secrets stored and guarded there. Duda further explained that the establishment of the base marked the end of Poland being in Russia’s sphere of influence, a shift he deemed strategically crucial for Poland’s future.
Duda expressed satisfaction with the presence of 10,000 U.S. troops stationed in Poland, reaffirming that American soldiers would always be welcomed. He jokingly invited those opposed to U.S. military presence to come to Poland, where they would be received with “joy.”
Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski noted that the deal to host the missile base was signed shortly after the Russo-Georgian War in 2008, marking a critical moment in Poland’s security alignment with the U.S. Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz hailed the base as a milestone in Poland’s security history and a testament to the country's strong alliance with the U.S.
In response, Moscow has consistently argued that the Aegis missile bases were never about protecting against rogue states but were intended to expand NATO’s reach eastward. Russian officials, including Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, have said that Russia would take necessary steps to ensure strategic balance following the base’s activation.
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