Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak was in Washington, yesterday, where he met with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to demand more US arms and military forces with which to face the Russian bogeyman. Blaszczak also reportedly had meetings on Capitol Hill yesterday, and is to visit Fort Sill, Oklahoma, today, where Polish troops are being trained to operate the Patriot air-defense system.
He said during public remarks with Austin yesterday, “The U.S. military presence in Poland continues to be a central pillar of our current and future bilateral cooperation and of our common response to the security challenges to NATO.” He highlighted the series of military agreements between the two countries since 2018 that have added about 1,000 more US troops, including a forward element of the US Army’s 5th Corps headquarters in Poznan. “We are also continuing vigorous efforts to enhance our defense capabilities by acquiring state-of-the-art U.S.-made military equipment, including the F-35 aircraft, Abrams tanks, HIMARS and Patriot system, to name but a few of the most prominent examples,” he said.
