Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk made clear Wednesday that he plans to drive a harder bargain than his predecessor over plans to host part of a proposed U.S. missile defense shield.
"Our agreement to a missile defense installation in Poland is going to be directly tied to increasing Poland's security," Tusk was quoted by Polish news agency PAP as saying.
However, he said so far the country "has not received assurances or a guarantee that hosting an American missile defense base in Poland will increase the security level of our country."
"As the prime minister of the Polish government, I feel responsible for the security of Poles, and not, with all due respect for our greatest ally, for the security of the United States," Tusk added.
Tusk's remarks underline a greater skepticism in Poland's approach toward the U.S. system since his government took office in November. His predecessor Jaroslaw Kaczynski opened talks with the United States early last year and firmly supported the plan.
Meanwhile, Polish Defense Minister Bogdan Klich said on Wednesday Poland will not agree to host a U.S. anti-missile site unless Washington commits to boosting Polish air defenses.
Klich said Polish government wanted the United States to bolster Poland's outmoded air defense capabilities with short-and-medium-range systems like the Patriot and THAAD rockets, according to PAP.
Klich said he would discuss Poland's demands with U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates in Washington later this month.
The United States wants to place 10 interceptors in Poland to protect the United States and Europe against potential attacks from what it has called "rogue" states. The system would also include a radar base in the neighboring Czech Republic.
Russia has fiercely opposed the plan, saying such an installation so close to its territory poses a threat to its national security, and has warned it could target the base in Poland with missiles.
Source:Xinhua
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