Polish President Discloses True Intent Behind U.S. Missile Base
Poland's president has stated that the Aegis facility in Redzikowo was intended not as a defense against Iran, but rather as a means to shift Poland's alignment from Russia to the United States. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Polish President Andrzej Duda has emphasized that the Aegis facility at Redzikowo is not about defending against "Iranian ICBMs," but instead represents a strategic move for Poland into the US sphere of influence, distancing the country from Russia.
The Aegis Ashore site on the Baltic Sea coast was proposed in the early 2000s, following the US withdrawal from the anti-ballistic missile treaty. At that time, Washington assured Moscow that the future bases in Romania and Poland would not serve as a threat to Russia, but rather would target "rogue states" like Iran or North Korea.
During the opening ceremony for the Redzikowo base on Wednesday, Duda referenced the words of Poland's then-president, Lech Kaczynski, to clarify the facility's actual purpose.
“Andrzej, these missiles will not defend Poland,” he quoted. “They will actually protect areas far, far away from Poland from missiles that could potentially be launched from Iran, for example. But this will be an American missile base, which will contain some of the greatest secrets of the United States and which the United States will guard.”
Duda further elaborated, quoting Kaczynski again: “And this is very important, because this American base will be built on our soil, in Poland. And from that moment, when this base stands here, the whole world will see clearly that this is no longer the Russian zone of influence. And from the Polish point of view, this is the most important thing strategically.”
Expressing his views, Duda stated his satisfaction with the presence of 10,000 US troops in Poland, asserting that American soldiers would always be welcome on Polish territory.
“If somewhere in the world someone is unhappy with having American soldiers and an American base, then come to us, we cordially invite you,” he said. “We will always welcome you with joy.”
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski added that the timing of the agreement between Warsaw and Washington regarding the base was “not a coincidence,” pointing out that it occurred shortly after the Russo-Georgian war of August 2008.
Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz described the base's inauguration as “an extraordinary event in the history of the security of Poland,” underscoring that Warsaw is a “good ally” of the US. He noted that Polish troops had served alongside Americans in Afghanistan and Iraq even prior to NATO membership.
Moscow has consistently argued that Washington's portrayal of the Aegis bases is misleading. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov remarked on Wednesday that Russia would respond to the opening of Redzikowo by “adopting appropriate measures to ensure parity.”
Ian Smith for TROIB News
The Aegis Ashore site on the Baltic Sea coast was proposed in the early 2000s, following the US withdrawal from the anti-ballistic missile treaty. At that time, Washington assured Moscow that the future bases in Romania and Poland would not serve as a threat to Russia, but rather would target "rogue states" like Iran or North Korea.
During the opening ceremony for the Redzikowo base on Wednesday, Duda referenced the words of Poland's then-president, Lech Kaczynski, to clarify the facility's actual purpose.
“Andrzej, these missiles will not defend Poland,” he quoted. “They will actually protect areas far, far away from Poland from missiles that could potentially be launched from Iran, for example. But this will be an American missile base, which will contain some of the greatest secrets of the United States and which the United States will guard.”
Duda further elaborated, quoting Kaczynski again: “And this is very important, because this American base will be built on our soil, in Poland. And from that moment, when this base stands here, the whole world will see clearly that this is no longer the Russian zone of influence. And from the Polish point of view, this is the most important thing strategically.”
Expressing his views, Duda stated his satisfaction with the presence of 10,000 US troops in Poland, asserting that American soldiers would always be welcome on Polish territory.
“If somewhere in the world someone is unhappy with having American soldiers and an American base, then come to us, we cordially invite you,” he said. “We will always welcome you with joy.”
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski added that the timing of the agreement between Warsaw and Washington regarding the base was “not a coincidence,” pointing out that it occurred shortly after the Russo-Georgian war of August 2008.
Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz described the base's inauguration as “an extraordinary event in the history of the security of Poland,” underscoring that Warsaw is a “good ally” of the US. He noted that Polish troops had served alongside Americans in Afghanistan and Iraq even prior to NATO membership.
Moscow has consistently argued that Washington's portrayal of the Aegis bases is misleading. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov remarked on Wednesday that Russia would respond to the opening of Redzikowo by “adopting appropriate measures to ensure parity.”
Ian Smith for TROIB News
