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With satisfaction, I can say that the Eastern Shield has already been permanently established as one of the European defense priorities, and this will have its consequences, announced Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Friday during a press conference in Brussels.
Tusk spoke about the conclusions of the EU summit on defense that ended on Thursday in Brussels.
“Europe can no longer be defenseless. The new American policy emphasizes greater European responsibility for itself. If NATO is to remain a pact that guarantees security for Poland and Europe, it is obvious to everyone that Europe must take on much more responsibility and defense tasks,” he said.
He stressed that Poland has long been aware of this, and decisions made at the EU summit will result in “we will no longer be alone at the forefront when it comes to defense spending.”
He also said he would like more European countries to make efforts similar to Poland’s, “because the stronger and better armed Europe is, the more obvious and safer Poland will be.”
He also conveyed that his collaborators in Brussels had to fight to the end to ensure that the Eastern Shield was indeed an EU priority “so that it doesn’t disappear from the records along the way.” He explained that this was because each EU state has its perspective and “it’s also a contest for European money.”
“With satisfaction, I can say that the Eastern Shield has already been permanently established as one of the European defense priorities, and this will have its consequences,” he said.
He informed that on Saturday, with Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, and Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration Tomasz Siemoniak, he would go to see the new infrastructure on Poland’s eastern border. (21.03.2025)