Polish army chief of staff General Wieslaw Kukula has declared that the nation must be prepared for "full-scale conflict" as it beefs up the number of troops stationed along the border with Russia and Belarus. The announcement comes following a move to improve security on the eastern front via physical barriers and telecommunications infrastructure that will be part of a "complex system of defensive and deterrent actions."
Poland's decision to ramp up military action in recent months is due in large part to Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, however also at play is Belarus' efforts to act as a transfer point for migrants from the Middle East, shuttling them into the European Union via the country's border with Poland. "Today, we need to prepare our forces for full-scale conflict, not an asymmetric-type conflict," Kukula said during a press conference, per Reuters. "This forces us to find a good balance between the border mission and maintaining the intensity of training in the army."
Also on stage during the press conference was Deputy Defence Minister Pawel Bejda, who explained that by August, the number of soldiers on Poland's eastern borders will be increased from 6,000 to 8,000. An additional 9,000 will be made available with as little as 48 hours notice.
According to Reuters, since Russia launched its war in Ukraine over two years ago, defense spending in Poland has risen dramatically, reaching over 4 percent of the country's total economic output.
Earlier this week, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk signed a security agreement with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky. "This unprecedented document includes a provision for shooting down Russian missiles and drones in Ukraine's airspace that are fired in the direction of Poland," Zelensky wrote in a post on X. "We are committed to implementing it. We will also cooperate on combat aircraft—both those already transferred by Poland and the possibility of transferring more in the future."
"In our security agreement, we have formalized the formation and training of the Ukrainian Legion, a new volunteer military unit, on Polish territory," he added. "This unit will be trained in Poland and equipped by our partners."
