Polish President Andrzej Duda called on the U.S. to deploy nuclear weapons in Poland as a deterrent against future Russian aggression, he said in an interview with the Financial Times published on March 13.
"The borders of NATO moved east in 1999, so 26 years later, there should also be a shift of the NATO infrastructure east. For me, this is obvious," Duda said.
Duda suggested that U.S. President Donald Trump could relocate nuclear warheads stationed in Western Europe or the U.S. to Poland, arguing that Russia had already taken similar steps by deploying tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus.
"Russia did not even hesitate when they were relocating their nuclear weapons into Belarus," Duda said. "They didn't ask anyone's permission."
Duda said he recently discussed the idea with Keith Kellogg, Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, and hopes to revive a nuclear-sharing proposal that he unsuccessfully presented to former U.S. President Joe Biden's administration in 2022.
The proposal comes amid mounting warnings from Western leaders and intelligence agencies about the possibility of a large-scale war in Europe within the next five years.
Then-Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and his Belarusian counterpart, Viktor Khrenin, signed an agreement in May 2023 to transfer tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, Poland's neighbor.
Russia's tactical nuclear weapons are designed for use on the battlefield in Europe and Asia and have a more limited range compared to strategic nuclear weapons, which could reach the U.S.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly issued nuclear threats against Ukraine and the West since launching the full-scale invasion in February 2022. While those threats have not materialized, concerns persist over Russia's military ambitions beyond Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron has also signaled a shift in nuclear policy, saying on March 5 that France is open to extending its nuclear umbrella to protect European allies.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
(Updated: )
