Poland can withstand invasion for 2 weeks before NATO steps in, security chief says
The Polish military has enough supplies to resist an enemy attack for up to two weeks before NATO reinforcements arrive, Dariusz Lukowski, head of Poland's National Security Bureau, told Polsat News on March 26.
"I think, depending on how this fight goes, this defense can be carried out for a week or two at today's inventory levels," Lukowski said in response to a question on how long Poland could fight on its own before the allies step in.
Lukowski acknowledged that Poland's Armed Forces still operate a mix of modern and outdated equipment, with ammunition shortages primarily affecting older systems. He also noted that newly acquired combat vehicles and platforms are being supplied with appropriate munitions.
The Polish political opposition has denounced the state of the country's defense production, claiming that Poland would have enough ammunition for only five days of war. When asked whether Poland really has only five days' worth of stocks, Lukowski said it depends on the type of equipment and munitions.
Poland, which shares borders with Belarus and Russia's heavily militarized Kaliningrad exclave, sits on NATO's eastern flank and would likely be among the first targets in a potential NATO-Russia confrontation.
The country has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, supplying tanks, heavy equipment, and ammunition.
Amid growing concerns over Russia's aggressive posture, Polish President Andrzej Duda called for the U.S. to deploy nuclear weapons in Poland as a deterrent.
On Jan. 15, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also urged NATO allies to increase defense spending, arguing that if all European members matched Poland's budget, NATO's military expenditures would be 10 times greater than Russia's.
Tensions between NATO and Russia have risen following Moscow's all-out attack against Ukraine. Western leaders and intelligence agencies have warned of a potential large-scale war in Europe within the next five years.
Read also: 'There is talk of Nord Stream' — Lavrov eyes Russia-US energy cooperation
We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Slow shift to electric trucks puts EU firms at risk of heavy fines
European truck manufacturers face potential multi-billion-euro fines due to the sluggish adoption of zero-emission vehicles, the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) warned. More than 90% of new trucks registered in Europe still run on diesel, while only 3.5% of those registered in the first quarter of 2025 were electric or plug-in hybrid models, according to ACEA. Buses show better progress, with nearly 65% of new registrations running on diesel, due to a relatively high share of climate-friendly buses in cities. Christian Levin, chair of ACEA's commercial vehicle board, called on governments to do more to boost demand for electric commercial transport, such as increasing the cost of diesel transport and accelerating investments in charging infrastructure. Levin noted that nearly every major transport route in Europe runs through Germany, making support from the German government especially important. Under current EU law, average CO2 emissions from new heavy-duty vehicles such as trucks, trailers and long-distance buses must be cut by 45% by 2030, 65% by 2035 and 90% by 2040 compared to 2019 levels.
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Poland's Tusk to call vote of confidence after election setback
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk is to call a vote of confidence in parliament on Wednesday. The vote comes days after conservative nationalist Karol Nawrocki won the country's presidential election. Tusk expects a tough conflict with the new president, who was supported by the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party. The confidence vote, expected at 10 am (0800 GMT), is an attempt to cement his support among his pro-European centrist coalition. Tusk, a former president of the European Council, has led Poland since the end of 2023. His government has sought to reverse the damage to the rule of law caused by the PiS government's judicial reforms between 2015 and 2023. The outgoing president, Andrzej Duda, has blocked many bills brought forward by the Tusk government. Nawrocki is likely do the same after taking office on August 6, and could take an even harder line. The 42-year-old historian is not a member of any party, but he owes his rise to PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, a political arch-enemy of Tusk. Nawrocki said last week that Tusk could expect "strong resistance from the presidential palace."
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Morning Bid: So, it's a framework for a deal, maybe?
(Reuters) -A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Wayne Cole. So, apparently, they have the concept of a plan for a proposal on a framework for a deal to break the latest U.S.-China trade impasse. Which was only needed because President Trump sent that tweet claiming Beijing had broken the old deal. This deal now needs to be approved by Trump and Chairman Xi, and then implemented. At least the Chinese side thought the talks were "rational", which was a step forward. Details were scant, though the U.S. team did claim that it would resolve China's export restrictions on rare earth minerals and magnets. What Beijing got in return was not yet clear. Neither was it clear whether this truce would last any longer than the last one, which might be why the early market response was less than enthusiastic. U.S. and European stock futures were all down between 0.2% and 0.6%, and Asian shares modestly firmer. There is still the small matter of whether the April 2 levies are actually legal, with a federal appeals court allowing the tariffs to remain in effect while it reviews a lower court decision blocking them. The dollar and Treasuries were little changed as the U.S. CPI looms later in the day and any upside surprise would fan stagflationary fears, to the detriment of both markets. Analysts assume lower energy prices will keep the headline rise to 0.2%, while the core is seen up 0.3%. Attention will be on whether tariffs show up in goods prices, though the full impact is likely to appear from June onwards. Measures of volatility suggest investors really aren't prepared for a high number, so anything in line will be a relief. Treasuries also have a 10-year auction to weather, with the focus on the share taken by indirect bidders which include foreign central banks. The latter took a hefty 71% of the May sale, while primary dealers got just 8.9%. A repeat performance would be warmly welcomed. Key developments that could influence markets on Wednesday: * ECB wage tracker. Appearances by ECB council membersGabriel Makhlouf; Piero Cipollone; Philip Lane and Claudia Buch;policymaker Yiannis Stournaras * British finance minister Rachel Reeves releases spendingreview * U.S. CPI data for May (By Wayne Cole; Editing by Christopher Cushing) Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
