Ministry
of National Defence

“The soldiers of the Polish Army play an important role here in Latvia. They prove with their daily service that Poland treats its allied obligations seriously, that we are unity within NATO. Here, on Latvian soil, there are soldiers representing 14 countries, so it is a peculiar example of cooperation and solidarity between the North Atlantic Alliance states in the name of collective security, freedom and peace. Because we want to live in peace. That is why we deter the aggressor” - said Mariusz Błaszczak, the Minister of National Defence during a meeting with soldiers of the Polish Army serving in Latvia.

“In Brussels, we talked about the forms of support for Ukraine and summarized the actions taken so far. Our point is to coordinate these activities. We want the support to meet Ukrainian expectations and that these actions have a deep sense, that they are not accidental. It is important for us to support Ukraine. From our point of view, independent Ukraine means independent Poland” - said Mariusz Błaszczak, Minister of National Defence at NATO Headquarters in Brussels.

- Today I can say that we will form two additional army divisions located along the Vistula River, in the central part of Poland. Ultimately, the Polish Army will have six tactical units with an appropriate support and combat security component - said Minister Mariusz Błaszczak during the briefing with the most important commanders of the Polish Army.

“Our talks focused primarily on the development of the Polish and Czech armed forces. Both our countries are members of NATO and the European Union. We were looking for opportunities to intensify these activities. I presented my Czech friend with information about the Act on defence of the Motherland, which is the basis for the development of the Polish Army. Our goal is for the Polish Army to have 300,000 soldiers, to be armed with modern equipment. We want to coordinate our activities, because the Czech side is also interested in increasing defence spending” - said Mariusz Błaszczak, Minister of National Defence during his visit to Prague.

This investment is co-financed by Poland, by the North Atlantic Alliance and by the United States. The assumption of this investment, as well as the previous one, which is just about to end, is to create conditions that will allow allied forces, especially the US forces, to be equipped with combat equipment in a very short time. So that in a crisis situation they can in real terms support the Polish Army - said Mariusz Błaszczak, the Minister of National Defence during his visit to Powidz.

“Today two talks were held –the first with the minister responsible for the arms industry in the Republic of Korea, the second with the manufacturer of infantry fighting vehicles and self-propelled howitzers, which are already manufactured in our country. We talked about accelerating the deliveries of these weapons to the Polish Army. Why is it important? Because of the war on our eastern border. It is important for the Polish Armed Forces to be equipped with modern equipment, proven equipment, and such is the equipment produced by Korea” - said Mariusz Błaszczak, the Minister of National Defence during his visit to South Korea.

“Today at Monte Cassino we pay tribute to the Polish soldiers who gave their lives for Poland and Italy. Today we would also like to thank everyone who remember about this story. The presence of young people here in Monte Cassino proves that the message with which the soldiers of the Polish Army fought will always be remembered. Your attitude, the attitude of the veterans who fought at Monte Cassino, is a model to follow for all Poles, especially for contemporary soldiers of the Polish Army" - said Mariusz Błaszczak, Minister of National Defence during the ceremony at the Monte Cassino War Cemetery.

“The conversation concerned the security of Europe, the activity of European Union countries in the context of the adopted documents, because in early spring this year the Union approved the Strategic Compass. We also talked about the upcoming summit of the North Atlantic Alliance in Madrid, cooperation in the EU format and cooperation within NATO. We were very enthusiastic about the confirmed decision of Sweden and Finland applying for joining the Alliance. In our opinion, this will strengthen the North Atlantic Alliance and the policy of deterrence, which is the essence of NATO" - summed up Mariusz Błaszczak, Minister of National Defence at the meeting of EU defence ministers in Brussels.

“We agree as to the threats to NATO's Eastern Flank, which concern Poland and Lithuania. We have the same assessment of Russia's aggressive policy and we agree that the free world should do whatever it takes to stop the Russian invasion. That is why we support Ukraine, we strive for the strengthening of the Eastern Flank of the North Atlantic Alliance. Our countries are also making every effort to increase spending on security and defence” - said Mariusz Błaszczak, the Minister of National Defence during his visit to Vilnius.

“The ongoing Russian invasion on sovereign Ukraine shattered our convictions that the horror of full-scale war in Europe belonged to the past. This unprovoked attack, facilitated by Belarus, has confirmed Russia’s readiness to purse its neo-imperial ambitions through military means. Moreover, it has also shown that Kremlin is ready to undertake the risk of military actions which are potentially costly also for Russia. All of that combined gives us a grim picture of the Russian leadership which will stop at nothing but to achieve its delusional objectives, even at the expense of its own people and regardless of the inevitable international isolation, consequently making Russia and its president Vladimir Putin an international pariahs” - said Mariusz Błaszczak, the Minister of National Defence during the opening of NATO Resilience Symposium 2022.