Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

UK to send troops to Poland amid concern about Russian buildup

UK to send troops to Poland amid concern about Russian buildup

Britain and Poland ‘stand side by side’ as concern mounts about possible Russian invasion of Ukraine
Britain has agreed to send a further 350 troops to Poland, in a move intended to demonstrate that the two countries stand together amid concerns that the Ukraine crisis could spill over into eastern Europe.

The deployment was agreed bilaterally – meaning it takes place outside Nato’s structures – and comes a few days after the US announced it would send in 1,700 paratroop reinforcements into Poland.

Ben Wallace, the defence secretary, standing next to his Polish counterpart in London, said the aim was to send a “strong signal” to Russia that the UK and Poland “stand side by side” as Moscow moves up to 30,000 troops to neighbouring Belarus.

Mariusz Błaszczak, the Polish defence minister, said he wanted the deployment to take place “as soon as possible” and that he intended the troops would be based “east of the Vistula river”, which runs through the heart of the country. Poland borders both Ukraine and Belarus to the east.

Russia has begun sending thousands of troops into Belarus for military exercises this month, which the US and the UK fears could be used as the basis for an invasion of Ukraine – or they may end up being permanently stationed in the country.

It is part of wider buildup of an estimated 130,000 Russian troops near Ukraine’s borders. Over the weekend US officials warned that Russia had assembled around 70% of the force needed to attempt an invasion of its smaller neighbour.

Labour said it welcomed the deployment, but said “UK leadership has been missing from the top-level diplomacy required” because Boris Johnson has been fighting to survive as prime minister.

The party called on ministers to reverse a planned reduction of about 9,500 in the target size of the UK armed forces. “With threats increasing and growing Russian aggression, ministers must halt their plans to cut the army,” the shadow defence secretary, John Healey, said.

Britain already has 250 soldiers in Poland, 150 of whom are part of an existing Nato multinational protection force, and 100 of whom are engineers helping Warsaw to strengthen its borders with Belarus.

Details about which forces would be sent out were not initially available, a sign that the agreement had been hastily put together and signed off at a meeting between Wallace and Błaszczak at the Ministry of Defence in London.

But a few hours after the agreement was announced, the MoD said 350 Royal Marines would fly out to Poland “in the coming days”.

British sources indicated the extra forces would not amount to a permanent deployment in Poland. But the UK has already signalled it is willing to base extra forces in eastern Europe, offering to double its commitment to Estonia, where 900 British forces lead a Nato battlegroup.

The fact that the agreement was brokered directly between the two countries suggests that Warsaw is anxious about the growing Russian presence in Belarus, which Nato says includes Iskander missiles with a range of up to 500km (300 miles), and S-400 air defence systems.

The first US troops, paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne, from the recently announced deployment arrived in Poland over the weekend. Another 4,500 US forces are already in the country as part of Nato and bilateral missions.

Further decisions on long-term deployments in eastern Europe are expected to be discussed at a meeting of Nato defence ministers on 16-17 February.

Jens Stoltenberg, Nato’s general secretary, said at a press conference in Brussels with Poland’s president, Andrzej Duda: “We are considering more longer-term adjustments to our posture, our presence in the eastern part of the alliance. No final decision has been made on that, but there is a process now going on within Nato.”
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
×