Poland Wants Permanent NATO Allied Presence on Its Territory

Outgoing Polish president Bronislaw Komorowski says that Poland wants NATO allied troops to be deployed on its territory on permanent basis

WARSAW (Sputnik) — Poland wants NATO allied troops to be deployed on its territory on permanent basis, outgoing Polish president Bronislaw Komorowski said Thursday.

"Poland hopes that with joint efforts we can replace the rotation-based presence of allied forces on our territory… with permanent deployment," Komorowski said during a joint press conference with NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg.

Stoltenberg is currently on a visit to Poland, where the NATO chief held talks with Poland's Defense Minister Tomasz Siemoniak and President-elect Andrzej Duda.

According to Komorowski, NATO responded adequately to "threats concerning Russian aggression in Ukraine," adding that it is the current situation in Ukraine that calls for the permanent presence of the alliance in Europe.

Komorowski also reiterated his proposal to hold the 2016 NATO Summit in Warsaw, expressing hope that the very fact that the event will take place in Poland will signify the "strengthening of the eastern flank of the alliance, ties between the allies and solidarity."

Russia’s relations with NATO sharply deteriorated amid the escalation of the Ukrainian conflict in 2014. The alliance accused Moscow of contributing to the aggravation of the situation and started boosting its military presence in Eastern Europe and Baltic region. Russia repeatedly denied these claims, voicing concerns over NATO activities close to its borders.