Polish Defense Minister Upholds US Bases’ Deployment on Poland’s Soil :: Charter'97 :: News

Polish Defense Minister Ezhi Shmaidzinsky supported the idea of deploying US military bases on the Polish territory. “I decisively uphold the plans of allocating American military bases in Poland,” – said the official in an interview to the weekly “Vprost”. “This will ensure our country’s security,” – added he.

According to “Vprost” the largest US aviation base in the whole of Europe will be moved from Frankfurt on Main to the Byala Podlyaska, 30 kilometers away from Brest.

Another aviation base will be located in Minsk-Mazovetsky, at 100 kilometers’ distance from Belarus. US air force from the aviation base in Ramstein will be deployed there.

The third US aviation base will be set up in the town of Povidz, central Poland. All these three places already have military airdromes.

“Vprost” reports that the forth base, where the US forces will allocate their ground troops and armed machinery, will be organized in Sventoshov in south-western Poland, where in early 90ies they deployed the Northern grouping of the Soviet troops in Poland.

The journal points out that the secret negotiations on opening the US bases in Poland have been long conducted by the leaderships of the two countries. The issue, in particular, has been raised in course of the December visit by Polish president Kvasnevsky to Washington and last month’s trip to the States by the Prime-Minister of Poland Leshek Miller.

The Polish Foreign Ministry told “Izvestia” that the publication in “Vprost” about the alleged deployment plans of US air forces in Poland doesn’t correspond to reality, just like the magazine’s claims that the Minister Vlodzimezh Chimoshevich “decisively upholds the idea of setting up US air military bases on the territory of Poland”.