“Russia is the greatest and direct threat to the security of the Allies and to peace and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area”, acknowledged the leaders of NATO countries in a declaration adopted at the Madrid Summit NATO. They decided to strengthen the eastern flank of the North Atlantic Alliance and invite Finland and Sweden to become its members. US President Joe Biden announced that the command of the US Army V Corps would be located in Poland.

Polish President Andrzej Duda assessed that the Madrid summit is a success for the entire North Atlantic Alliance. He stressed that the permanent command of the US Army V Corps in Poland would strengthen Poland’s security, and he considered the decision to expand NATO to include Finland and Sweden to be historic.

“We have succeeded in preserving unity. The North Atlantic Alliance is unity, it is solidarity. There is a green light for Sweden and Finland to join the North Atlantic Alliance, and this is certainly an absolutely historic decision from the point of view of the whole Alliance”, the Polish President said at a meeting with journalists.

Andrzej Duda stressed that for our region and the eastern flank of NATO, this is an absolutely fundamental decision.

“Two very powerful countries, with a great history, having a very serious military background, i.e. Sweden and Finland, countries of the Baltic Sea basin, will be accepted into the North Atlantic Alliance, which means, above all, that the border of NATO’s eastern flank, the border of this flank with Russia, extends by more than 1,600 km,’ he said.

Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Defence Mariusz Blaszczak, commenting on the results of the first day of the NATO Summit, said that the US had taken the decision that Poland had been seeking for a long.

“It is very important that the advanced element of the V Land Forces Corps command will be permanently in Poland. Previously we had a rotational presence, then after negotiations, we came to an enhanced presence, and now we received a permanent presence. This is what we were striving for”, Błaszczak admitted.

Adrian Andrzejewski