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Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk made an inspection visit Saturday to assess the construction progress of military fortifications along the border with Russia’s Kaliningrad region, describing the initiative as a peace-preserving investment.
The visit comes as Poland prepares to assume the rotating EU presidency next month. Polish leadership aims to encourage European nations to strengthen their defensive capabilities, particularly given concerns about potential changes in U.S. defense commitments under a future Trump administration.
Poland will build fortifications on the border not only with Russia, but also with Ukraine and Belarus.
This was stated by the Prime Minister of Poland.
So, if the Ukrainians want to flee the war not at the Polish checkpoint, but on other way, Polish friends will shoot. pic.twitter.com/fl3KikN6NO
— Гакрукс (@Gakruks1) November 30, 2024
Earlier this week, Tusk suggested implementing joint naval patrols in the Baltic Sea with Nordic and Baltic nations, following suspected undersea cable sabotage incidents.
This year marked the beginning of Poland’s East Shield project, which will establish defenses spanning approximately 800 kilometers along Polish-Russian and Polish-Belarusian borders, addressing Western concerns about Russia’s hybrid warfare tactics.
Speaking near Dabrowka village, with concrete anti-tank barriers as his backdrop, Tusk stated, “The better the Polish border is guarded, the more difficult it is to access for those with bad intentions.”
Having faced historical aggression from neighboring nations, Poland has emerged as a prominent European security advocate, especially as France and Germany grapple with domestic political challenges. The nation plans to allocate 4.7% of its GDP to defense spending next year, ranking among NATO’s top contributors.
The strategic initiative, estimated to cost minimum 10 billion zlotys, will protect Poland’s eastern borders, which serve as the EU and NATO’s easternmost boundaries.
The prime minister indicated plans to extend East Shield’s protection to Baltic states Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
“Everything we are doing here – and we will also be doing this on the border with Belarus and Ukraine – is to deter and discourage a potential aggressor, which is why it is truly an investment in peace,” Tusk said. “We will spend billions of zlotys on this, but right now the whole of Europe is observing these investments and our actions with great satisfaction and will support them if necessary.”
.@JackPosobiec to @RealAlexJones: Globalists have installed their leader Donald Tusk, who was the head of the European Union, as the new Prime Minister of Poland. pic.twitter.com/uFnI8mucnz
— Wojciech Pawelczyk (@WojPawelczyk) January 10, 2024
While mentioning border reinforcement plans with Ukraine, Tusk provided no specific details regarding this close ally.
The fortification system incorporates anti-tank barriers with natural obstacles like ditches. Tusk emphasized that while some elements remain invisible, this represents Europe’s largest defensive project since World War II’s conclusion.
According to state news agency PAP, the initiative encompasses threat detection systems, logistics hubs, forward bases, warehouses, and anti-drone capabilities.
