"Becomes the center of gravity of American forces": why Poland continues to build up the US military

The headquarters of American troops on the eastern flank of NATO will be relocated from Germany to Poland, said Minister of National Defense Mariusz Blaszczak on Polish Radio. According to him, in this way Poland ceases to be a member of NATO of the “second category”.

“Now we can feel like a state equal to other countries of the North Atlantic Alliance,” Blaschak said, noting that the presence of the US Army in Poland “scares away any aggressor,” since “American troops are the most powerful in the world.”

In addition, Blaschak pointed to "very warm relations" that bind Polish President Andrzej Dudu and his American counterpart Donald Trump. In his opinion, this brings serious benefits to the country and affects the security of the republic.

The Minister of Defense added that the changes, including the relocation of the command to Poznan, will take place as part of a new declaration on the expansion of military cooperation between Washington and Warsaw, which complements the earlier agreements.

Recall that on September 23 in New York, Duda and Trump signed an agreement providing for the deployment of an increased contingent of US troops in Poland. Information about this was posted on the website of the Polish National Security Bureau. The document notes that another 4,500 military will join the 4,500 US troops already deployed in Poland on a rotational basis.

“Wants to be at the forefront”

The relocation of the headquarters of American troops on the eastern flank of NATO from Germany to Poland can be regarded as a rebalancing of relations between the United States and Germany, Konstantin Blokhin, a leading researcher at the Center for Security Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said in an interview with RT.

“Washington sees Germany’s attempts to pursue a policy independent of the American side and realizes that it is no longer possible to speak with Berlin in an ultimatum style. There are big disagreements between the USA and Germany, including due to Nord Stream 2, anti-Russian sanctions and Trump’s demands to increase spending on NATO, ”the expert said.

According to Blokhin, the US military will be redirected to Poland, as the republic itself strives for this and "wants to be at the forefront of deterring Russia."

“At the same time, Warsaw itself is ready to pay for it, and such an approach is built into the American foreign policy,” the analyst noted.

According to RMF FM, citing unofficial sources, the deployment of US troops in Poland will cost Warsaw about $ 50 million annually. This amount does not include the costs of construction and reconstruction of the necessary infrastructure, which are estimated in the range from $ 1 billion to $ 2 billion.

• NATO Headquarters
• Reuters
• © Francois Lenoir

According to the military historian Boris Yulin, the transfer of the headquarters of American troops on the eastern flank of NATO from Germany to Poland suggests that the bloc continues to operate “from a position of strength”.

“The alliance again cynically violates its promise not to spread troops east. In this way, NATO demonstrates that no promises made to the Soviet leadership in exchange for disarmament and the withdrawal of troops from Eastern Europe will be fulfilled, ”the expert said.

According to the interlocutor of RT, the transfer of headquarters towards the "possible theater of operations" clearly demonstrates the aspirations of the North Atlantic Alliance.

“This shows that the bloc is aimed primarily against Russia, since there are simply no other potential adversaries in this direction for the North Atlantic Alliance,” Yulin emphasized.

The specialist also added that an increase in the number of US troops in Poland “will strengthen Washington’s dictatorship against Moscow” and “increase the likelihood of hostilities.”

"Poland is preparing for war"

Recently, Washington and Warsaw have been increasingly building up military cooperation. So, in early September, the United States approved the sale to Poland of 32 of the latest F-35 military aircraft worth $ 6.5 billion. The Pentagon’s Agency for Security and Defense Cooperation noted that this deal “will give Poland significant defense potential to repel aggression in the region and will ensure the principle of interoperability with the US Armed Forces. ”

Earlier, the American edition of Defense News reported that Poland intends to purchase from the United States about 60 anti-tank missile systems FGM-148 Javelin and five military transport aircraft Hercules.

Constantly building up military cooperation with the United States has become Warsaw’s systemic policy of containing Russia, Konstantin Blokhin believes.

“Now Poland has stepped up its work in this direction because it sees that the Russian Federation behaves independently in the international arena and defends its interests, forms the world agenda on a par with the United States,” the expert explained.

In turn, Boris Yulin expressed the view that Poland’s significant strengthening of its armed forces looks like preparation for war. In addition, by purchasing more and more American weapons, Warsaw seeks to take a more significant place in NATO, the expert said.

“For its part, the United States, by supplying this military equipment, demonstrates its readiness to fight with any potential opponents, including Russia, to the last Pole. Indeed, in the event of a military conflict, the American side will assume the technological part of the war, and NATO allies will fight. This approach is part of the concept of the United States, ”said the analyst.

• A shot from the Javelin anti-tank missile system
• globallookpress.com
• © US Army / Digital

Under the pretext of "Russian aggression"

Polish politicians have consistently substantiated the need for the North Atlantic Alliance to stay on the territory of the country with the notorious “Russian threat”. So, the president of the country, Andrzej Duda, after meeting with Donald Trump on the sidelines of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, called this step an “adequate reaction” to Russian politics. In his opinion, the deployment of the US military in the country will help prevent new military conflicts.

Earlier, in early September, the head of the Polish ruling party, Law and Justice, Jaroslav Kaczynski, made a similar statement.

“The geopolitical situation, the policy of Russia over the past few years has led to a change in the position of our Western allies, in particular the United States ... This was the subject of our efforts ... the hard work of our diplomacy ... In the end, we have troops, consisting of soldiers from different countries ”, - quotes Kaczynski Polish Press Agency (PAP).

The politician also added that Poland does not want to unleash hostilities, but adheres to the principle "if you want peace, get ready for war."

However, according to Boris Yulin, all the statements of the Polish side about the “Russian threat” are a kind of “camouflage” for the unhindered continuation of the militarization of the republic and the buildup of NATO troops.

“Warsaw wants to show that it is Russia that is to blame. However, in fact, Poland is surrounded on all sides by NATO countries and Ukraine, a friendly alliance, therefore, in fact, Russia poses no threat to the Polish side, ”the analyst said.

Returning to the transfer of the headquarters of American troops on the eastern flank of NATO to Poland, Konstantin Blokhin noted that the movement of the American contingent closer to Russian borders could not but worry Moscow.

“The situation that has arisen will increase tension in the region. It is possible that an increase in the number of American military personnel on Polish territory will be followed by the deployment of medium- and shorter-range missiles. Indeed, Poland is one of those countries where Washington plans to deploy these weapons, ”the expert noted.

• President of Poland Andrzej Duda
• Reuters
• © Dawid Zuchowicz / Agencja Gazeta

Blokhin also stressed that Poland is becoming the "center of gravity" of US troops, demonstrating a willingness to "go on all American adventures."

“Meanwhile, NATO will continue to increase the military contingent in the region and will strengthen the missile defense system there. All this is done by Washington in order to strengthen its negotiating position on a number of international issues, impose an expensive arms race on Russia, stimulate its military-industrial complex and consolidate the West against the Russian Federation, ”the analyst concluded.