Opinion: Warsaw is preparing for war

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said not long ago that the country's military spending will reach four percent of GDP in 2023, and political expert Aleksandr Shpakovsky is convinced that Warsaw – while taking such measures – is preparing for war

In his talk with Alfa Radio, the expert recalled that Poland is going to spend a large sum on the purchase of offensive weapons, “It is obviously preparing for a war. According to the 2022 data, Poland plans to spend more than $20bn [on defence] this year – which is 20 times more than our defence budget. The country is to spend $14.5bn on the purchase of new offensive weapons. Few people know that the programme of modernisation of the Polish army was adopted in 2012, but it had been developed even earlier – that is, before the coup in Ukraine and the Crimean situation.”

Moreover, as noted by Mr. Shpakovsky, Poles regularly conduct exercises near the border of Belarus. “Western units are studying a potential theatre of operation virtually on a rotational basis, and any attempts to blame [Russian President Vladimir] Putin in some kind of aggression make me laugh," Mr. Shpakovsky added.

The expert explained that Russia offers to resolve conflicts, including the Ukrainian one, peacefully, while Western countries are not even considering such an option. “Last year, we were told ‘no’ to the proposals to discuss security guarantees on all points. [Western states] have decided to expand further and surround us with missiles. This is being done to be able to attack. Who is threatening Poland now? After all, this NATO state is under an American nuclear umbrella,” he stated.