“A European Union (EU) mission to train Ukrainians will also be located in Poland”, said Minister of National Defence Mariusz Blaszczak. The head of the defence ministry is attending a meeting of defence ministers of NATO countries in Brussels.

The meeting of defence ministers of NATO countries will last until Friday. Discussions include Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the Kremlin’s nuclear rhetoric and enhancing the security of the Alliance countries’ critical infrastructure. Ministers met to discuss increasing support for Ukraine and further strengthening NATO’s defences, against the biggest escalation by Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine.

‘It is optimistic that our assessment of the dangers posed by Putin’s attempts to recreate an empire, a Russian empire, is being taken up and is shared by allies and, above all, by the United States’, the head of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said during a meeting with journalists during a break in the meeting.

“There is no doubt at all that if it were not for the approach of the United States such allies as Germany and France would approach the issue of these threats differently”, he added.

The minister acknowledged that Poland’s role was also appreciated by US commanders; the involvement and importance of Poland in the process that is related to strengthening Ukraine was emphasised by US General Christopher Cavoli.

“In my speech, I stressed the fact, which is now public, that the EU mission to train Ukrainians will also be organised in Poland, and an important operational command will be in Poland soon”, said the head of the Ministry of Defence.

Wednesday was the first day of a series of meetings in Brussels, the next session will also be devoted to the situation in Ukraine. Two NATO sessions in the format of defence ministers are scheduled for Thursday, and a meeting of the Bucharest Nine States with the participation of US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin is planned for Friday.

Arkadiusz Słomczyński