The Permanent Mission of the Republic of Poland before the United Nations promoted a proposal, signed by 40 countries who provide funds and troops to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL), to condemn the recent attacks of of Israel against its base in Naqoura (in the south of the country) and five peacekeepers were injured in just three days. “We call for respecting the UN mission and guaranteeing the safety of people,” dictates his message published on the social network X.
Archiv: Polen / Poland
40 nations contributing to UN Lebanon peacekeeping force condemn ‚attacks‘
The 40 contributing countries „reaffirm our full support for UNIFIL‘s mission and activities, whose principal aim is to bring stabilization and lasting peace in South Lebanon as well as in the Middle East,“ the statement read.
„We urge the parties of the conflict to respect UNIFIL‘s presence, which entails the obligation to guarantee the safety and security of its personnel at all times,“ it added.
UNIFIL, which involves about 9,500 troops of some 50 nationalities, is tasked with monitoring a ceasefire that ended a 33-day war in 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah.
World Central Kitchen boss José Andrés accuses Israel of „direct attack“ on Gaza aid convoy
(04.04.2024)
This was not just a bad luck situation where, ‚Oops, we dropped a bomb in the wrong place,'“ Andrés told the Reuters news agency, stressing that his team‘s vehicles were clearly marked and „it‘s very clear who we are and what we do.“
„They were targeting us in a deconflicting zone, in an area controlled by IDF. They, knowing that it was our teams moving on that road… with three cars,“ he said, adding that he believed the seven aid workers killed by the strike in Gaza were targeted „systematically, car by car.“
Who were the World Central Kitchen aid workers killed in Gaza by Israel?
(03.04.2024)
„For her it was the perfect job, she got to serve hot meals to people who were having maybe the lowest point of their lives,“ her friend Bryan Weaver told Reuters.
„She made you feel like you were the only person in the room.
In a statement, her family said Zomi left behind a legacy of compassion, bravery and love.
7 WCK team members killed in Gaza
(02.04.2024)
Despite coordinating movements with the IDF, the convoy was hit as it was leaving the Deir al-Balah warehouse, where the team had unloaded more than 100 tons of humanitarian food aid brought to Gaza on the maritime route.
“This is not only an attack against WCK, this is an attack on humanitarian organizations showing up in the most dire of situations where food is being used as a weapon of war. This is unforgivable,” said World Central Kitchen CEO Erin Gore.
The seven killed are from Australia, Poland, United Kingdom, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada, and Palestine.
Poland armed forces claim the country’s airspace violated by Russian cruise missile
The Polish Armed Forces reported a violation of the country‘s airspace on the border with Ukraine early in the morning of March 24 and claim that it is a Russian cruise missile. No evidence was provided for these statements.
Russia violates Poland‘s air space in attack on Ukraine, Poland‘s armed forces say
„On March 24 at 4:23 a.m. (0323 GMT), there was a violation of Polish airspace by one of the cruise missiles launched overnight by long-range aviation of the Russian Federation,“ the armed forces said on the social media platform X.
„The object entered Polish space near the town of Oserdow (Lublin Voivodeship) and stayed there for 39 seconds. During the entire flight, it was observed by military radar systems.“
Amid Russia jitters, NATO drills flowing troops across Polish river
(05.03.2024)
Some one hundred kilometers away from Poland’s border with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea, forces from nine NATO member countries were busy setting up the last of their amphibious gear.
They are part of a large multi-domain operations exercise that entails a notoriously tricky river crossing in the remote northern Polish countryside here, as European officials are worried about the possibility of a Russian attack, depending on the outcome of the war in Ukraine.
NATO’s Steadfast Defender 2024: Unprecedented Military Exercise Signals Alliance Unity and Preparedness
(26.01.2024)
During the initial phase (End of January to mid-March), the focus will be on maritime reinforcement across the Atlantic and in the Arctic. The second phase (mid-February to the end of May) will shift to using deployed reinforcements across all domains, from the Arctic to the Eastern Flank.
STEADFAST DEFENDER 2024 is a multi-domain exercise, incorporating land, air, sea, cyber, and space operations, which has been a major focus of doctrinal development at NATO Allied Command Transformation. It involves deploying forces from North America and other parts of the Alliance to Europe. Over several months, complex multi-domain operations will be conducted across thousands of kilometres, thereby enhancing civil-military cooperation and national and collective resilience.
Why is NATO’s Steadfast Defender 2024 military exercise significant? | Explained
According to NATO, the military exercise incorporates land, air, sea, cyber, and space operations to enhance civil-military cooperation. Over 90,000 troops from 31 NATO allies as well as special invitee Sweden are expected to participate in the exercise over the next few months.
During the first phase (Transatlantic reinforcement) of the exercise, North American forces are scheduled to move to Europe across the Atlantic Ocean. The phase includes live maritime exercises and amphibious assault training in the North Atlantic and Arctic Seas.
Commando Network Coordinates Flow of Weapons in Ukraine, Officials Say
(June 25, 2022)
Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in February, the Army’s 10th Special Forces Group, which before the war had been training Ukrainian commandos at a base in the country’s west, quietly established a coalition planning cell in Germany to coordinate military assistance to Ukrainian commandos and other Ukrainian troops. The cell has now grown to 20 nations.
Poland goes to the polls for a general election and referendum to decide the future of the right-wing government
The referendum asks voters to answer four questions. They will be asked their views on whether to accept migrants, build a new wall on the border with Belarus, raise the retirement age and sell state assets.
Poland no longer supplying weapons to Ukraine amid grain row
(22.09.2023)
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said Poland‘s focus was instead on defending itself with more modern weapons.
But the country‘s president later said the comments had been misinterpreted in the „worst possible way“.
Andrzej Duda said it was only new Polish weapons that would not be sent.
The grain spat threatening to wipe out goodwill between Poland and Ukraine
The center-right opposition bloc known as the Civic Platform polled at 26 percent in the same survey, while the far-right Confederation party reached 10 percent. That would potentially give Confederation, which refuses to enter a coalition with either major party, the power to spoil negotiations for a new government.
Ukraine grain imports become key issue in Poland election campaign – The Washington Post
Three Neighbors of Ukraine Ban Its Grain as E.U. Restrictions Expire
(Sept. 16, 2023)
As Ukraine, one of the world’s largest grain exporters, has struggled to ship its grain because of Russia’s invasion, the European Union has opened up to tariff-free food imports from the country, a move that had the unintended consequence of undercutting prices and hurting farmers in several countries in the east of the European Union. As part of a deal meant to protect those countries, the bloc allowed some grain to transit through them, but prohibited domestic sales.
Brussels’ decision to let that deal expire at midnight on Friday revived an issue that has threatened European Union unity on support for Ukraine.
BAE Systems to highlight Polish partnerships, vital defence technologies at MSPO 2023
(29.08.2023)
Kielce, Poland: BAE Systems (Hall F, stand 9) will demonstrate its range of defence and security solutions for land, sea, air, space and cyberspace at MSPO 2023. During the show, held at Targi Kielce, Poland, from 5 to 8 September, the Company will also showcase its teams working in Poland, its partnerships with the Polish military and other companies in the Polish defence sector.
Kaczyński: Berlin will EU in „Viertes Deutsches Reich“ umwandeln
(24.12.2021)
Beim Antrittsbesuch des neuen deutschen Bundeskanzlers Olaf Scholz (SPD) in Warschau hatte Polens Ministerpräsident Mateusz Morawiecki vergangene Woche Kritik an dem im Koalitionsvertrag der Ampel-Parteien vereinbarten Ziel geübt, die EU zu einem „föderalen Bundesstaat“ weiterzuentwickeln: In polnischen Ohren klinge diese Vision nach „bürokratischem Zentralismus – das ist eine Utopie und gefährlich“.
Blockaded on all fronts: Poland and Hungary threaten to cut Ukraine’s export route to the West
As Russia once again bombards and blockades Ukraine‘s Black Sea ports — through which the country exports its vast agricultural produce — Poland and Hungary threaten to cut off the country‘s western exit routes.
NATO countries to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets in Romania
(12 July 2023)
A coalition of 11 nations decided during the recent NATO summit in Lithuania to start training Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets in August in Denmark. A training center will also be set up in Romania for the same purpose.
NATO members Denmark and the Netherlands have been leading international efforts to train pilots as well as support staff, maintain aircraft and ultimately enable the supply of F-16s to Ukraine in its war with Russia, according to Reuters.
Group of 11 countries forms coalition for training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighters
(11.07.2023)
The Ministry of Defence of Denmark reported that Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden and the UK agreed to start the training of Ukrainians on the F-16 fighters.
The training is expected to start at the end of the summer and will be conducted in Denmark.
Allies Pressure Biden to Hasten NATO Membership for Ukraine
(June 14, 2023)
The hope in the push is that once Ukraine is a full member of the alliance, Russia would not dare to try to topple the government in Kyiv because an attack on one NATO country is considered an attack on them all. Ukrainian membership has become a “consuming debate,” both in Europe and inside the Biden administration, according to one senior U.S. official who is deeply involved in the discussions.
Only Germany has sided fully with Mr. Biden, though some of the other 29 allies have their own quiet doubts about Ukraine’s readiness to fully join the alliance — and the risks that NATO nations could get sucked directly into a conflict with Russia in the future.
Israel vor Verkauf Hunderter Panzer nach Europa
Laut dem Onlineportal der Tageszeitung „Yediot Ahronot“ sollen die Panzer an zwei namentlich nicht genannte Länder geliefert werden – eines davon in Europa.
Ob diese Panzer letztlich für die Ukraine bestimmt sein könnten, bleibt in dem Artikel unklar.
France, Germany and Poland back Ukraine’s counteroffensive in a show of unity
The leaders of France, Germany and Poland met in Paris Monday for talks focusing on military support for Ukraine’s counteroffensive and future security guarantees to be given to the country, ahead of a NATO summit in July.
Polish President Pushes for Ukraine‘s NATO Membership At Paris Talks
„Ukraine is waiting for an unambiguous signal regarding a clear prospect of membership in NATO,“ Duda said on June 12 after a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Paris. The tripartite meetings involving Germany, France, and Poland, known as the Weimar Triangle, began in 1991 in Weimar, Germany.
Medien: „Nord Stream“-Sabotage mit Spur nach Polen
Es gebe Hinweise, wonach ein mutmaßliches Sabotageteam Polen als Einsatzbasis genutzt haben könnte, so das „Wall Street Journal“ (Samstag-Ausgabe). Es beruft sich dabei auf die Auswertung von Daten der Segeljacht „Andromeda“, die im Verdacht stehe, bei der Sabotage der Pipelines genutzt worden zu sein.
Die Ermittler hätten die zweiwöchige Fahrt des Schiffes mit Hilfe von Daten aus dessen Funk- und Navigationsausrüstung, von Satelliten- und Mobiltelefonen sowie E-Mail-Konten vollständig rekonstruiert.
NATO countries led by Poland may be willing to put troops on the ground in Ukraine – potentially dragging the alliance into war with Russia – former secretary general warns
‚The president and the prime minister will also discuss the joint US-UK leadership on critical emerging technologies as well as our work to strengthen our economic security.‘
Biden will then hold talks with current NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg on Monday.
Ukraine is set to top the agenda for their talks which will take place one month out from the summit and will give other NATO countries an inkling of what to expect from Kyiv‘s most powerful western ally.
Nato members may send troops to Ukraine, warns former alliance chief
Rasmussen said: “If Nato cannot agree on a clear path forward for Ukraine, there is a clear possibility that some countries individually might take action. We know that Poland is very engaged in providing concrete assistance to Ukraine. And I wouldn’t exclude the possibility that Poland would engage even stronger in this context on a national basis and be followed by the Baltic states, maybe including the possibility of troops on the ground.
“I think the Poles would seriously consider going in and assemble a coalition of the willing if Ukraine doesn’t get anything in Vilnius.
Polish Militants Join Armoured Assaults Into Russian Territory: Warsaw Expands Central Role in War Effort
(June 5, 2023)
The Russian and Western sources have both widely reported that these incursions have been supported by Russian far right groups which have coordinated closely with the Ukrainian Military and with foreign fighters in Ukraine. Videos published by the Polish militants regarding their operations show them using Ukrainian T-72B tanks and Mi-8 helicopters as well as U.S.-supplied HMMWV armoured vehicles, which comes as part of a much wider trend towards Polish combatants in Ukraine being given extensive access to weapons supplies as they are often considered more reliable than many of the local conscript units.
Commando Network Coordinates Flow of Weapons in Ukraine, Officials Say
(June 25, 2022)
Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in February, the Army’s 10th Special Forces Group, which before the war had been training Ukrainian commandos at a base in the country’s west, quietly established a coalition planning cell in Germany to coordinate military assistance to Ukrainian commandos and other Ukrainian troops. The cell has now grown to 20 nations.
The CIA and NATO’s ‘Stealth Network’ in Ukraine: American Boots on the Ground Coordinating a Proxy War Against Russia
(June 28th 2022)
The extent of Western material support was perhaps best symbolised by Ukrainian special forces operating in the contested Donbas regions, which the Times highlighted had American flag patches on their equipment and carried new Western-supplied portable surface to air missiles and both Belgian and American assault rifles. Efforts on the ground in Ukraine were supplemented by considerable support provided to Ukrainian personnel in NATO member states themselves, an example being training for Ukrainian commandos in Germany provided by the U.S. Army’s 10th Special Forces Group. At Ramstein Air Base in Germany, U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard personnel simultaneously trained the Ukrainian Air Force.
In Poland, COVID-19 exposes progressing societal militarization
(May 31, 2020)
As the lockdown unraveled, the disoriented Polish public swiftly learned from the media that the country is “at war with an invisible aggressor”, one that requires the Minister of Health to act like a “Commander in Chief” and puts the medical staff on the “front lines”. This military rhetoric was soon multiplied by media reports on the spike in Russian and Chinese “information warfare” against the European Union over COVID-19. Far from being purely discursive, this warlike response to the pandemic has also involved a wide deployment of close to ten thousand military personnel across the country. Already in March, the newly-founded Territorial Defense Forces (TDF) were mobilized for the first Polish comprehensive anti-crisis military operation after 1989.
How the Army Is Training European Militias to Stop a Russian Invasion
(January 14, 2020)
Their tasks could include slowing the advancing units of an aggressor nation by destroying key transportation infrastructure such as bridges, attacking enemy forces at choke-points and potentially serving as forward observers for NATO aircraft responding with air strikes.
Special Forces Soldiers train with Polish, Latvian allies in West Virginia
(October 8, 2019)
The State Partnership Program (SPP) is a National Guard Bureau initiative that links states and territories with partner countries around the world to foster mutual interests, establish long-term relations, enhance U.S. national security interests, and promote political stability. Through the SPP program, the Illinois National Guard is partnered with Poland and the Michigan National Guard is partnered with Latvia.
W.Va. Special Forces train with Polish, Latvian forces in West Virginia
(July 3, 2019)
West Virginia Army National Guard (WVARNG) Special Forces Soldiers with the 2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne) recently completed the first irregular and unconventional warfare training iteration for members of the Polish Territorial Defense Forces and Latvian Zemmessardze as a part of the Ridge Runner program in West Virginia.
Ridge Runner is a WVARNG training program that provides various National Guard, active duty, and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ally nation armed forces training and experience to in irregular and asymmetrical warfare tactics and operations.
Poland to recruit 35,000 for paramilitary force to combat Russia threat
(June 3, 2016)
Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz announced Thursday that the command structure and senior appointments for the Territorial Defense Force, which will ultimately number 35,000, had already been decided.
The force will be aimed at countering hybrid warfare, such as that used by Russia to annex the Crimean Peninsula, Radio Free Europe reported officials as saying.
Eyeing Russia nervously, Poles enrol in volunteer militias
(March 20, 2015)
The Polish government has kept its distance from the unofficial civilian militias but, with anxieties about Moscow’s intentions growing, the professional military is now looking for ways to harness the volunteer groups.
There are an estimated 120 such groups in Poland, with total membership around 10,000. Eight hundred members gathered on Friday in Warsaw at a meeting organised by the Defence Ministry, the first time they have been given official recognition.
A curious case of an alleged Russian missile in Poland
(7 May 2023)
Bydgoszcz, however, is about 500km from the border with Ukraine, meaning any potential missile would have travelled from the southeast to the northwest of Polish airspace. (…)
Last November, a Russian-made rocket did land in the southeast of Poland, close to the border with Ukraine, killing two farmers. (…)
By coincidence, or not, there is a NATO Joint Force Training Centre in Bydgoszcz, which staffs 170 military personnel from different alliance members.
Opposition stellt Misstrauensantrag gegen Verteidigungsminister
(05.06.2023)
Die Überreste der Rakete waren im April zufällig in einem Wald in der Nähe der polnischen Stadt Bydgoszcz in Nord-Zentral-Polen gefunden. In Reaktion auf den Fund erklärte Verteidigungsminister Mariusz Blaszczak, er habe nichts davon gewusst und beschuldigte die polnische Militärführung, ihn nicht über die Rakete informiert zu haben. Das Verteidigungsministerium gab später bekannt, dass die Rakete am 16. Dezember 2022 abgestürzt war, aber erst nach ihrem Fund eine Untersuchung eingeleitet worden sei.