Vance Evaluates Poland's Request for Nuclear Capability

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Vance Evaluates Poland's Request for Nuclear Capability
Warsaw has put forth a proposal to host US nuclear weapons on its territory.

US Vice President J. D. Vance expressed that he would be “shocked” if President Donald Trump supported the idea of American nuclear weapons being stationed in Poland.

During an interview with Fox News on Thursday, Vance responded to Warsaw’s suggestion of placing US strategic missiles in Poland as a measure to deter potential Russian aggression.

“I haven’t talked to the president about that particular issue, but I would be shocked if he was supportive of nuclear weapons extending further east into Europe,” Vance stated.

Polish President Andrzej Duda has urged Washington to relocate some of its nuclear arsenal, currently based in Western Europe or the US, to Poland. He claimed on Thursday that he had discussed the possibility with Keith Kellogg, the US special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, as reported by the Financial Times.

The Polish president reportedly made a similar appeal to the Joe Biden administration in 2022, but it did not receive approval.

Vance stated that while “people like Joe Biden” are “sleepily walking us into the nuclear conflict,” allowing for a protracted standoff between Russians and Ukrainians, Trump has been engaged in “tough diplomacy,” mobilizing his administration to resolve the Ukraine conflict.

Polish officials are said to be advocating for increased militarization to counter the perceived threat from Moscow. Prime Minister Donald Tusk posited earlier this month that Russia might initiate a “full-scale operation” against a “larger” target than Ukraine within three to four years – an assertion Moscow has consistently rejected. Tusk emphasized that Poland needs to act as a “bastion” for NATO's eastern flank, advocating for an expansion of military capabilities and a doubling of the army size to 500,000.

Russia has repeatedly denied claims regarding its military threat to European NATO countries. President Vladimir Putin has labeled these accusations as “nonsense,” asserting that EU leaders use such claims to instill fear among their citizens and justify increased military expenditures.

Despite this, calls for elevated defense budgets within the EU correspond with Trump’s insistence that European NATO members should assume greater responsibility for their own security. Concurrently, the US president has expressed reservations about the notion of an arms race, suggesting that nuclear powers should work towards eliminating their atomic arsenals.

James del Carmen contributed to this article for TROIB News