Russia moved tactical nuclear weapons from its own borders into neighboring Belarus (Picture: Metro.co.uk)
More nuclear warheads may be deployed closer to Nato’s Eastern Flank with Russia.
Poland’s president Andrzej Duda said his country is ‘ready’ to host weapons, if the military alliance decides to, in response to the Kremlin moving theirs to Belarus in March.
He told Fakt: ‘Russia is increasingly militarising Königsberg (Kaliningrad). Recently, it has been relocating its nuclear weapons to Belarus.
‘If our allies decide to deploy nuclear weapons as part of nuclear sharing on our territory as well, in order to strengthen the security of Nato’s Eastern Flank, we are ready for it.’
Duda claimed that he has been in talks about nuclear sharing with the US. ‘When asked about it, I declared our readiness,’ he added.
His comments came as a bit of a surprise to prime minister Donald Tusk. He later told journalists that Poland’s security and military potential are also his priorities.
Three Nato members are nuclear powers: the US, the UK and France (Picture: Metro.co.uk)
The PM said he wanted to meet with the president to ‘understand the intentions’.
It was either another move in the West’s tactical chess match with Vladimir Putin, or a game of Russian roulette.
Dr Paul Dorfman, a nuclear safety expert who has advised the British and French governments, told Metro.co.uk that hosting Nato’s nuclear weapons would put Poland in a ‘sacrifice zone’.
He said: ‘Putin poses a nuclear threat, but what does that imply for Poland and what does that imply for Europe and the rest of the world?
‘This discourse seems to have brought Poland into a more dangerous position in terms of tactical nuclear exchanges. On the other hand, it has lessened strategic nuclear risk.
What are tactical nuclear weapons
Tactical nuclear weapons are relatively smaller and less dangerous than strategic ones. They can be used in a limited capacity on the battlefield.
Few people know exactly how many Russia has because it is an area still shrouded in traditions of Cold War secrecy.
The United States has around 200 such weapons, half of which are at bases in Europe.
‘Duda’s statement has started to bring Poland into this so-called sacrifice zone.’
The president has previously spoken of Poland’s preparedness for nuclear sharing within Nato, before Tusk’s government came to power in December.
What brings more uncertainty is that he did not specify if his government would host tactical or strategic warheads.
Less powerful than strategic weapons, tactical ones are aimed to devastate enemy targets in a specific area without causing mutual destruction and radioactive fallout.
Prof Dorfman commented: ‘In terms of conventional positioning, there is really no distinction between tactical and strategical and clearly an attack on one member is an attack on all.’
The Kremlin vowed to respond if Poland was to receive nuclear weapons.
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Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said: ‘The military will analyse the situation if such plans are implemented, and in any case will do everything necessary, (will take) all the necessary retaliatory steps to guarantee our safety.’
Three Nato members are nuclear powers: the US, the UK and France.
Within the sharing program, the US has nuclear facilities based in some allied countries: Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey, to deploy and store the weapons.
But the White House retains absolute control and custody over the weapons it deploys.
Seven members of the military alliance have dual-capability aircraft that can carry conventional bombs or nuclear warheads and are available for use should such a strike be needed.
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