Poland ready to host US nuclear weapons, Duda says

Polish President Andrzej Duda says Poland is ready to host U.S. nuclear weapons, saying the topic was one of frequent discussions between Warsaw and Washington.

Duda told Polish tabloid Fakt in an interview published Monday that Russia is increasingly militarizing the Kaliningrad province between Poland and Lithuania and has relocated tactical nuclear weapons to ally Belarus.

“I must admit that when asked about it, I declared our readiness,” the Polish president said of talks with U.S. officials. “If our allies decide to deploy nuclear weapons as part of nuclear sharing also on our territory to strengthen the security of NATO’s eastern flank, we are ready for it. We are an ally in the North Atlantic Alliance and we also have obligations in this respect.”

Poland, which borders Ukraine, is not a nuclear power, and the U.S. does not currently keep nuclear weapons in the country.

However, U.S. tactical nuclear weapons, which have a smaller yield but are still devastating bombs, are in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey.

Duda traveled to Washington last month to meet with White House officials to mark 25 years of Poland’s inclusion in NATO.

The visit came as security concerns grow in Europe following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which borders Poland. Duda also met with congressional leaders and said in the interview Monday that they discussed Russia’s threats, Polish security and NATO.

Duda also met privately with former President Trump, and he told Fakt that he has “been friends” with the 2024 Republican presumptive presidential nominee since his first term.

“I really like talking to him because he is an extremely interesting personality and has great experience, both political and business,” Duda said.

Trump sent shockwaves through Europe earlier this year when he said he would let Russia do “whatever the hell they want” to members of NATO that did not pay enough in defense spending. He has also reportedly backed plans to cede territory in Ukraine to bring an end to the war with Russia.

The Polish president, however, told Fakt he had confidence in whoever won the election to continue developing Poland’s relations with the U.S., and he added he was “sure” of a Trump administration remaining an ally in NATO.

He said the former president “is a participant in very serious American political battles.”

“These are America’s internal affairs and the decisions of American voters, but this is a very hard political game,” he said. “You have to have tough elbows and therefore he plays politics decisively. Not everyone is used to it, not everyone likes it, but he is a rational person.

“Rational, I would say, to a fault. Emotions are only on the outside. I am confident about how America’s business will be conducted when President Trump runs it again.”