The United States inaugurated its first permanent military base in Poland this Tuesday, in what the US ambassador in Warsaw said is a sign of NATO unity “in the face of Russian aggression” towards neighboring Ukraine.
“This shows that we are here to stay. This shows to the whole world that the United States is allied with Poland and NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Western defense bloc). We are united in the face of Russian aggression “, US Ambassador to Poland Mark Brzezinski said at an official ceremony in Poznan, western Poland.
This garrison of the North American army, the eighth in the United States in Europe (which already had five in Germany, one in Belgium and one in Italy), will be responsible for coordinating support for the North American forces deployed in Poland and to the entire NATO eastern flank stationed in that member state of the organisation.
Established based on a decision by US President Joe Biden made in 2022 at the Atlantic Alliance Summit, it will serve as the headquarters of the US Army’s 5th Battalion.
More than 10,000 US troops are currently stationed in Poland, the country through which most military equipment for Ukraine passes.
“We really appreciate the permanent presence of US troops in our country. We especially appreciate it in the situation Europe finds itself in, with Russia invading Ukraine and trying to rebuild its empire.”in turn, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak stated at the ceremony.
“The US Army’s 5th Battalion Forward Command is now operational – it is therefore from Poland that US ground forces on NATO’s eastern flank are brought in”said the Polish minister, underlining: “The garrison is important for the security of our country, but also for the security of the entire eastern flank of NATO”.
Several thousand US troops have been stationed in Poland and other countries on NATO’s eastern flank for years as a deterrent, but their numbers and mission have increased significantly as a result of Russia’s war in Ukraine entering its second year.
The military offensive launched by Russia in Ukraine on February 24, 2022 has so far led to the flight of more than 14.6 million people – 6.5 million internally displaced persons and more than 8.1 million to European countries – according to the latest data from the UN, which classifies this refugee crisis as the worst in Europe since World War II (1939-1945).
At the moment, at least 18 million Ukrainians need humanitarian aid and 9.3 million people need food aid and shelter.
The Russian invasion – justified by the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, with the need to “denazify” and demilitarize Ukraine for Russian security – was condemned by the international community at large, which responded by sending arms to Ukraine and to impose on Russia political and economic sanctions.
The UN presented as confirmed since the start of the war, which this Tuesday entered its 391st day, 8,317 civilian deaths and 13,892 wounded, underlining that these numbers are well below the real ones.
Source: DN
