Russia could attack Poland, Finland, Baltics鈥擯olish PM

By: 3 years ago

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki speaks to journalists at Warsaw airport before leaving to Brussels for an emergency EU summit on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, on February 24, 2022. AFP

RENNES, France 鈥� Poland鈥檚 prime minister said Saturday he feared a Russian attack on his country, Finland or the Baltic states and urged Europe to double defense spending after Moscow鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine.

Putin will 鈥渨ant to develop his aggressive policy, his invasion鈥�, Mateusz Morawiecki told French daily Ouest-France.

鈥淗e started in Georgia, now Ukraine,鈥� he added. 鈥淭he next target could be the Baltic countries, Poland, Finland or other countries on the eastern flank.鈥�

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Poland, a former Soviet satellite and now a member of the Nato alliance, shares a long border with Ukraine.

As Russian President Vladimir Putin massed forces on his neighbor鈥檚 frontier before attacking on Thursday, Poland hosted more troops from the US-led military alliance.

But he said Saturday: 鈥淲e need a strong European army.鈥�

The continent must increase defense spending from around 300 billion euros to up to 600 billion euros per year, he argued.

鈥淚t is not impossible and that will allow Europe to finally play a major role,鈥� Morawiecki said in an interview also published by the German regional media group Funke Mediengruppe.

鈥淭he era of peace and international order is coming to an end,鈥� he added.

鈥淚t is a test for the West and the way we react to this test will determine our future, not for years but decades.鈥�

Poland鈥檚 head of government proposed excluding defense spending from EU public finance rules to allow his country to spend three to four percent of its annual economic output on defense following Russia鈥檚 aggression.

He also called for an 鈥渦nprecedented and crushing鈥� sanctions package on Moscow and for discussions to make Europe 鈥渋ndependent鈥� of Russian hydrocarbons.

鈥淏y buying Russian oil and gas, we are today financing Russia鈥檚 policy of aggression,鈥� he said.

Warsaw has been in the European Union鈥檚 firing line for defying the supremacy of EU law and amid concerns over the independence of its judiciary.

But Morawiecki said he expected the European Commission 鈥渘ot to bother us with the so-called rule of law procedure鈥� because we are currently defending the eastern flank.

鈥淲e are treated in a discriminatory way even in times of war. We should not be treated like that.鈥�

黑料社