The Polish government is really using the Russian annexation of the Crimea as a chance to lay out a laundry list of demands for massive increases in NATO military aid today, hitting out at the “slow pace” of the build-up so far.
It seems slow because Poland’s ambitions for a NATO force are so grand, with Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski pushing for a “permanent” deployment that includes a minimum of 10,000 ground troops.
Sikorski complained Poland has been a NATO member for 15 years and all they’ve gotten was a single conference center out of the deal, insisting he wants a “prominent, major presence.”
Prime Minister Donald Tusk added that NATO membership came with a promise of military protection, and expressed annoyance at the lack of ground troops pouring into his country over the “threat” perceived by his government, but which no one seriously thinks is going to end with Russia invading Poland.
