Deputy Head of the Ministry of National Defense: The takeover of the mission in Jasionka by NATO has been planned for many months

The takeover of the mission in Jasionka by NATO from Americans is an action that has been planned at NATO level for many months. We should be satisfied with the changes – said Deputy Minister of Defense Cezary Tomczyk on Wednesday in Bydgoszcz.

“US Army soldiers have been in Poland. We have been talking about it for many months. Relocation from Poland to Poland is good news, because this matter was not a foregone conclusion. We have been fighting for a long time that the mission in Jasionka would become a NATO mission and so it would happen after the summit in Washington in July 2024. This is planned at the NATO level for many months” – emphasized Tomczyk in a conversation with journalists.

The deputy head of the Ministry of National Defense emphasized that the matter of who would take responsibility for the mission in Jasionka has been agreed for many months.

“We should be pleased with it, because it is really a step higher. The Natów mission causes that there will be both Americans, Polish, Norwegians, Germany, British and other nations that take responsibility for donation issues for Ukraine,” he noted.

Tomczyk pointed out that a week ago Deputy Prime Minister, defense minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz was in Jasionka at an official ceremony, during which Americans and Poles passed responsibility for the surgery of strengthening Ukraine, in favor of NATO.

The deputy minister asked if the Americans' decision about the relocation of their troops was influenced by the issues of savings, he said that this is quite obvious.

“The American side is thinking about how to reduce costs. As for the agreement between the Polish and American sides, it is very beneficial for both parties, both for Poland and the United States. Poland participates in the costs of the presence of American troops in Poland, and not in all countries,” said the deputy minister.

Tomczyk said that, for example, Germany has a different position in this matter for many years, which is why Donald Trump was still considering changing the presence of American troops in this country, and finally the decision was made that there would be fewer of them.

The deputy head of the Ministry of National Defense pointed out that “everyone is counting on costs today, but the United States has clearly communicated in the last few dozen hours that they want to increase defense budget.” “The United States has global interests and in no way they want to deprive themselves of presenting these interests,” he added.

Tomczyk also emphasized that in Poland we have a permanent presence of American troops, in their base in Redzikowo, which defends the United States and Europe against ballistic threat.

The takeover of the coordination of help for Ukraine by the NATO mission was initiated by the then Secretary General of NATO Jens Stooltenberg during the Summit of the Alliance in Washington in 2024. Stoltenberg's decision was seen as a desire to secure support for Ukraine against Ukraine before the potential re -assuming the position of the President of the US by Donald Trump. (PAP)

Rau/ Ann/