Russia declared on Thursday that the new US ballistic missile defence base in northern Poland would escalate nuclear risks. However, Warsaw countered, stating that Moscow’s “threats” only reinforced the need for NATO defences.
The air defence base in Redzikowo near the Baltic coast was inaugurated on November 13. It is a component of a larger NATO missile shield.
Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, labelled the installation as a provocative move that destabilizes strategic stability and elevates nuclear dangers.
“This series of actions by the Americans and their NATO allies in the strategic sphere undermines stability and increases nuclear risks,” Zakharova stated.
In response, Pawel Wronski, spokesperson for Poland’s foreign ministry, clarified that the base houses no nuclear missiles and is strictly defensive.
“It is a purely defensive base,” Wronski noted. “Moscow’s threats underscore the need to bolster Poland’s and NATO’s air defences, which the United States should also consider.”
The Redzikowo base is part of the “Aegis Ashore” system, which NATO claims can intercept short- to intermediate-range ballistic missiles.
Zakharova warned that due to its strategic threat, the Polish missile defence base is a priority target for potential destruction, which could be executed using a range of advanced weapons.
NATO documentation also states that its missile shield includes installations in Romania, US Navy destroyers stationed in Spain, and an early warning radar system in Turkey.
