Security Poland ‘could host Nato nuclear weapons’

Poland is ready to host Nato nuclear weapons, the country’s President has said, after Russia moved some of its nuclear arsenal to Belarus.

Russia has “recently relocated its nuclear weapons to Belarus,” President Andrzej Duda said in an interview with the Fakt newspaper.

“If there were a decision by our allies to deploy nuclear weapons within the nuclear sharing also on our territory in order to strengthen the security of Nato’s eastern flank, we are ready,” he said.

The Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, who shares Mr Duda’s views on national security, later told journalists that Poland’s security and military potential are his priorities, but he needs to discuss this suggestion with Mr Duda urgently.

“I would also like any potential initiatives to be, first of all, very well prepared by the people responsible for them, and all of us to be absolutely positive we want it,” Mr Tusk said.

He added: “This idea is absolutely massive, very serious and I would need to know all the circumstances that have led the President to make this declaration.”

Mr Duda has spoken of Poland’s openness to nuclear sharing within Nato before Mr Tusk’s government came to power in December.

A Kremlin spokesperson said any deployment of US nuclear weapons in Poland would be met with steps necessary for Russia’s security.

“The military will, of course, analyse the situation if such plans are implemented, and do everything necessary – take all the necessary retaliatory steps – to guarantee our safety,” Dmitry Peskov said.

Three Nato members are nuclear powers: the UK, the US and France.

The US has nuclear facilities based in some allied countries – Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey – to deploy and store the weapons. Washington retains absolute control and custody over the weapons it deploys.

Seven members of the alliance have dual-capability aircraft that can carry conventional bombs or nuclear warheads.

Poland is a supporter of neighbouring Ukraine as it fends off Russia’s full-scale invasion, now in its third year.