Poland plays politics with German Patriot missile offer

WARSAW — Germany thought it was doing its ally a favor when it offered to send Patriot anti-missile systems to Poland after the country was hit by a missile that crossed over from Ukraine.

Instead, Warsaw has responded with a dramatic shift in policy, lashing out at Berlin with a steady stream of insults – as part of the nationalist ruling party’s effort to stoke anti-German sentiment ahead of next year’s parliamentary election. Seen in So far, no German air defense system has arrived.

That was not the original idea.

on 15 November a missile hit Polish border village of Przewodów, two dead. It was determined to be an errant Ukrainian air defense missile trying to shoot down a barrage of Russian rockets. The first death in a NATO and EU member state from the war in Ukraine prompted a closer look at Poland’s air defences.

Berlin last week offered two Patriot batteries – a US-made surface-to-air system that costs about $1 billion per battery – along with German Eurofighter jets to help police Polish skies.

The initial reaction from Warsaw was downright enthusiastic.

“I accepted with satisfaction the German Defense Minister’s proposal regarding the deployment of additional Patriot missile launchers in our country,” Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak Told in a tweet

“I would propose that the system be deployed along the border with Ukraine,” Blaszczak said.

not so fast

followed by Jarosław Kaczyński, chairman of Poland’s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party and the country’s In fact Leader, entered.

Two days after Blaszczak’s initial response, Kaczynski Told State-owned Polish Press Agency: “It would be better for the security of Poland if the Germans offered the equipment to the Ukrainians.”

Blaszczak a few hours later Tweet That U-turn changed his original response to saying that the message to Berlin was now “that the proposed Patriot battery should be moved to Ukraine and deployed along its western border.”

Astounded German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said on 24 November that “the Patriots are an element of NATO’s integrated air and missile defence, which means they have to be deployed in NATO territory.”

The batteries are staffed by German troops, so sending them to Ukraine would open up the risk of NATO troops coming under Russian attack, Thomas Bagger, the German ambassador in Warsaw, Told private broadcaster TVN24.

“These batteries could be on the eastern border of Poland, and therefore on the eastern edge of the coalition, very quickly, within a few days, maybe within a few weeks. matter.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said he “welcomed” Germany’s offer, but where to deploy a system “remains a national decision.”

Kaczynski responded by questioning Germany’s credibility as a NATO ally.

“The German attitude so far gives no reason to believe that they will decide to intercept the Russian missiles,” Kaczynski Told A press conference on Monday.

He also said that German Patriots in Poland would be an “aesthetic choice” without “military or political significance”.

That’s not true, said retired army general Stanisław Kościusz, former head of Poland’s National Security Bureau.

“It is clear that the more means of air defense, the more secure the Polish airspace is,” Koczyk told Politico.

Poland is in the process of deploying Patriots it bought from the US a few years ago, and Koczyk said Germany’s launchers would provide an additional boost to the country’s anti-missile defense.

“We have an anti-aircraft defense system, but an anti-missile system is not enough yet,” he said.

playing politics

But PiS and Kaczyński are playing more than strengthening air defenses, said Anna Siewirska-Chmaj, a political scientist at the University of Rzeszów.

the party is trying to strengthen it opinion poll ranking By using Germany as a convenient punch bag— demanding Accusing Germany of favoring Brussels on the rule of law after Berlin paid eye-watering reparations for World War II damage Conflict which has caused the European Union to freeze recovery fund payments to Poland, and collusion with Polish opposition parties, notably former Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

“This is the real goal of Mr. Donald Tusk: to make Poland dependent on Germany, to make Poland dependent on German structures and decisions, including those of the command,” Told Antoni Macierewicz, former Defense Minister of PiS.

Siwierska-Chamaz observed that the game was clear: “PiS knows very well what resonates with their core electorate.”

This is fertile ground for PiS. a vote A poll last month by state-owned agency CBOS found a record 31 percent of Poles felt relations with Germany were “bad”.

Siwierska-Chmaj said, “Being anti-German may not win PiS new voters, but at least it prevents voters from leaving.”

After a week of back-and-forth between Poland, Germany and NATO, there is not much light on Poland’s position.

“If such deployment is not possible for various political reasons, for example because of the position in Germany, then Poland should not give up these missiles altogether,” said Pawel Szarot, head of the office of President Andrzej Duda. Told on Tuesday.

shoe blazzak Told On Wednesday he was still lobbying Lambrecht to send the batteries to Ukraine. “I’m counting on approval,” he said.

Despite a rebellion from its trading neighbor, Germany says the Patriots are still there for the taking.

“Our offer to the Polish government to defend their country is not yet off the table,” Scholz Told Journalists during a press conference in Berlin.