Not enough security from NATO for Polsh tastes?

NATO does not meet Poland's security expectations and Poland should negotiate another bilateral military agreement with the United States according to Witold Waszczykowski Poland's Assistant Foreign Minister. The statement was received with mixed reactions in the country.

NATO is not seen as prepared for the possibility of a military conflict. Since 1999, when Poland joined the Alliance, NATO has not updated its military systems due to lack of immediate threat.

A new military agreement Between Poland and the US, it is said, would bring new substance to Polish - American relations and at the same time enhance Poland's security.

This view caused mixed reactions in Poland. According to Rzeczpospolita daily, many diplomats unofficially support the view. Others disagree. Professor Roman Kuniar from the Institute of International Studies at Warsaw University points to the fact that such a critical statement may provoke a reaction among our European partners. "It's a very wrong signal also to other members of the Atlantic Allliance becasue they may think, you know, if Poland once regarded as most pro-Atlantic country of the Atlantic Alliance is losing its faith in NATO the others may begin to feel the same way."

An expert from "Polska Zbrojna" military magazine says that if Poland were to negotiate a new treaty with the Americans now is the time to do so. Since Poland is about to negotiate with the U.S. on the installation of a anti-missile shield on its soil another agreement on mutual security would only seem natural.

Related Topics on this Blog:

http://polishtoledo.blogspot.com/2007/02/poland-as-missile-shield-base-saga.html

http://polishtoledo.blogspot.com/2007/01/is-us-anti-missile-system-on-polish.html