Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk has reaffirmed his advocacy for a Europe-wide defense system akin to Israel’s Iron Dome, stating that Europe must establish its own protective shield to mitigate aerial threats. Amidst increased regional tensions and the recent missile strike in Poland, Tusk’s call to action.
Poland, sharing a border with Russia, has significantly increased its defense budget to over four percent of its GDP in the wake of the conflict in Ukraine. This includes a substantial €2 billion investment to bolster security along its borders with Russia and Belarus.
In November 2022, a missile struck a Polish village close to the Ukrainian border, killing two people. Tusk highlighted Europe’s “danger zone” status, drawing a parallel with Israel’s security challenges and stressing the necessity for a similar system to protect the skies over Europe.
Mr Tusk recently held talks in Warsaw with Mette Frederiksen, Denmark’s prime minister, over the project led by Germany. He said she “responded positively to my proposal for Poland to join a European project that will effectively build a dome to protect our sky”. Berlin set up the ESSI initiative, with a total of 15 Nato countries, including the UK, in 2022. The plan, which involves joint procurement of air defence systems, now has 21 participating countries. Poland is expected to join later this year.
However, not all political factions in Poland share Tusk’s enthusiasm for the ESSI, with President Andrzej Duda of the opposition Law and Justice party criticizing the initiative as a “German business project.”
The investment in this initiative has gained substantial financial backing from the European Investment Bank (EIB), which has extended a 300 million euro contract to support Poland’s integration into the ESSI. Tusk expressed that the security of Europe is “deeply intertwined” with Poland’s.
Further elaborating on the initiative on May 20, Tusk indicated that he, along with other European leaders, would soon unveil plans to construct an Iron Dome over Europe. He emphasized that such a pan-European air defense structure is a workable scheme rather than a mere aspiration.
Relevant articles:
– Donald Tusk says Europe must build its own Israel-style Iron Dome, telegraph.co.uk, 05/22/2024
– Poland invests €2.2 billion in reinforcing its border with Russia and Belarus, Yahoo News UK, 05/21/2024
– Poland arrests sabotage suspects and warns of potential hostile acts by Russia, Yahoo News UK, 05/21/2024
– European Investment Bank Funds Poland’s Entry into European Sky Shield Initiative, Ukraine Business Journal, 05/20/2024
Glad you enjoyed above story, be sure to follow TrendyDigests on Microsoft Start.