In the north-east of Poland, the international exercise of the North Atlantic Alliance Tumak 20, which started on November 23, is taking place.

The maneuvers are designed to demonstrate the combat readiness and interoperability of partners and allies in the region, according to the press service of the Combat Group of NATO's Enhanced Forward Presence in Poland (BG-P).

It is noted that during the training actions more than 1,200 servicemen will have to demonstrate that BG-P is "prepared and capable of giving a quick and deadly rebuff to any potential aggressor in the region."

Units from the USA, Great Britain, Romania, Poland and Croatia are taking part in the exercises at the training ground in the Bemovo Piske area.

The Tumak 20 is not the first NATO maneuver to take place in Poland this year.

The Defender Europe 20 Plus exercise took place in the country in June for about two weeks.

They involved 6 thousand military, including 4 thousand people from the United States, 100 tanks, 230 combat vehicles, artillery, missile systems and aviation.

The purpose of the exercise was to test the readiness of American and Polish soldiers for joint actions within the framework of a common military operation.

The main element of the maneuvers was the forcing of the water barrier with the participation of tank and landing units.

At the same time, the exercise program was significantly reduced due to the epidemiological situation.

  • Defender Europe 2020 exercises in Poland

  • globallookpress.com

  • © Richard Herman / Keystone Press Agency

As Andrei Koshkin, a member of the Academy of Military Sciences, noted in an interview with RT, in a pandemic, NATO does not conduct very large-scale exercises in order to avoid an increased number of infections, but "continues to regularly organize maneuvers with a limited number of troops, and at the Russian borders."

“The North Atlantic Alliance does not want to ease the tension it has created near the borders of the Russian Federation.

The maneuvers, despite the pandemic, continue to be carried out with the same intensity, albeit in a reduced composition.

In addition, there is still a shift in the alliance's exercises to the eastern flank, that is, to the borders of Russia, ”the analyst said.

Voice of Warsaw

On November 20, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak stated that the republic's activities as part of the alliance "are extremely important for the development of security systems on the eastern flank of NATO."

“Cooperation within NATO is the best guarantee of security and stability.

We can say that we have become one of the main allies of the United States.

We have exemplary cooperation.

We provide security.

We not only take advantage of the security that other allies provide, but we ourselves guarantee security through our participation in this entire system created within NATO, ”Blaszczak said during the official ceremony on the occasion of the deployment of the forward command of the 5th US Army Corps in Poland ...

The head of the department noted that on November 9, President of the country Andrzej Duda ratified an agreement on strengthening military cooperation between the United States and Poland.

“Today we are witnessing how this agreement comes into force and watching the implementation of its provisions.

Joint Polish-American activity serves the security of our homeland, serves the security of the countries united by the North Atlantic Alliance, ”the Minister of Defense said.

According to him, the main task of the forward command of the 5th US Army Corps in Poland will be "the coordination and control of the US ground forces deployed in Europe, operational planning, as well as the establishment of interaction and timing" of the actions of the US forces with the troops of other NATO countries ...

Recall that in mid-August, Blaschak and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo signed an agreement in Warsaw to expand military cooperation between the two countries.

According to the Minister of Defense, the document "opens up opportunities for expanding the presence of American troops in Poland, as well as conducting more exercises of the US Armed Forces" in the republic.

At the same time, Warsaw states that the infrastructure will allow the deployment of up to 20 thousand American troops in the country.

In addition, Poland undertakes to provide the US armed forces free of charge for the exclusive or joint use of military facilities, including new ones.

The Polish side also assumes the costs of providing the American military with housing, food and fuel.

  • Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak

  • © Jakub Porzycki / Agencja Gazeta / via REUTERS

"Carte blanche to control the region"


Commenting on the launching exercises, a military expert, development director of the Foundation for Assistance to Technologies of the XXI Century, Ivan Konovalov, drew attention to the fact that the emphasis during the Tumak 2020 maneuvers will be on practicing joint actions of NATO forces in the event of hostilities.

“The maneuvers of the military bloc are being worked out on the nearest approaches to the Russian borders.

And conversations about just maintaining cooperation within the alliance are typical formulations that are then used by the politicians of Western countries, "said the interlocutor of RT.

At the same time, the analyst noted that it was not by chance that Poland became one of the centers of regular training of units of both the North Atlantic Alliance and the United States.

“Warsaw desperately wants to be the number one ally in Eastern Europe for NATO and the US to gain carte blanche to control the region.

In addition, Poland is known for its anti-Russian sentiments, for her attacks on Russia are the main part of foreign policy, which turned out to be in demand in NATO.

Against this background, the Polish leadership has largely managed to achieve a special relationship with the United States, and not only within NATO, ”the expert said.

We will remind, in May, the President of Poland approved an updated strategy for the national security of the republic, in which the emphasis is on the military threat allegedly emanating from Russia.

The document notes that "the most serious threat is posed by the neo-imperial policy of the authorities of the Russian Federation, carried out including through military force."

According to the Polish leadership, Moscow is allegedly carrying out actions of a "hybrid nature", which increase the risk of an armed confrontation.

Moscow has repeatedly denied such accusations.

In turn, Andrei Koshkin noted that Poland in many ways itself initiates "the shift of the center of coordination of NATO actions to the republic."

“These processes have recently accelerated.

Warsaw is ready to contribute as much as possible to such a development of events.

We are already seeing the results of these efforts in the form of NATO exercises and an increase in the number of US troops in Poland.

Apart from aggressive sentiments towards Russia, it is difficult for Warsaw to offer the bloc anything else economically or militarily.

And this aggression is being converted into conducting exercises, deploying infrastructure, grants from the US and NATO, ”the analyst explained.

Ivan Konovalov also predicted that Warsaw would continue to seek a buildup of NATO and American forces in Poland, regularly referring to the Russian threat: "For this, Warsaw will offer all conditions, make every effort."