The US Secretary of State for Defense announced the planned sale to his Polish counterpart during his visit to Warsaw on Friday. Poland, a country bordering Ukraine, is a key ally of Washington, which has increased its military support there in recent weeks.
With our correspondent in Warsaw, Sarah Bakaloglou
” This is one of the most important arms contracts in the history of Poland ” and ” very important news for the security of the country “. It is in these words that the Polish Minister of Defense welcomed the announcement of this sale of American Abrams tanks, which still has to be approved by Congress.
Mariusz Błaszczak underlined it: it is about an extremely important reinforcement of the Polish defense capacities. A welcome reinforcement for Warsaw, which announced its intention to acquire these tanks last summer.
Poland, a country bordering Ukraine, is one of the most critical voices against Moscow, as Russia is seen as a major threat to its security. In the current context, Warsaw has therefore repeatedly stressed that solidarity between allies and deterrence are essential.
A call heard by Washington, which announced the deployment of 4,700 additional American soldiers there. ” What Mr. Putin didn’t want was a stronger NATO on his flank, and that’s exactly what he’s going to get said the US Secretary of Defense on Friday in Warsaw.
Furthermore, Warsaw is preparing for a possible massive influx of Ukrainian refugees on its territory.