NATO 'Must Be Ready to Defend' Europe: Polish FM Considers Russia a Threat

NATO must enhance its presence in Central and Eastern European regions to deter the perceived Russian aggression, Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski said Friday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to the minister, there were serious threats emanating from Russia for the European security architecture, expressing hope that "a response to a new and less stable situation in the field of security" would be worked out at the upcoming NATO summit in Warsaw, Poland.

"This presence must be strong and have a new quality and readiness to defend NATO territory <…> Poland is convinced that the right response to the security threats and challenges from Russia is to enhance NATO’s presence in our region," Waszczykowski said in an interview with the Eesti Paevaleht newspaper.

NATO has been reinforcing its military presence in Europe, particularly in Eastern European states, since the outbreak of the Ukrainian crisis, citing Russia's alleged interference in that conflict as justification for the move. Moscow has repeatedly denied the accusations, calling NATO's military buildup near Russia’s borders provocative.

The heads of state of the military bloc's members are due to gather for the Warsaw summit, to be held on July 8-9, with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg describing it as coming at a crucial time for the Alliance.