Poland's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said today that if the country manages to expand its military capabilities according to plans by the end of the decade, an attack on the country would be “pure madness“, the Polish Press Agency (PAP) reported, quoted by BTA.
Speaking during the discussion panel “War and Peace“ at the “Re_Mind" congress (Re_Mind) in the southwestern city of Wroclaw, Sikorski said that the difficulties Russia faces in Ukraine show how important it is to build strong defense capabilities.
He said Russian President Vladimir Putin has spent more than a decade waging war in the Donbas region without being able to establish full control over it, let alone conquer the rest of Ukraine.
“So if we organize and build the army that we plan to have by the end of the decade, it would be sheer madness for anyone to attack us,“ said Sikorski.
He also spoke about the need for in-depth defense training, pointing to the lessons of the war in Ukraine. Among them, he said, is the importance of soldiers being given sufficient rest during prolonged military operations.
Sikorski also expressed concern that many Western politicians do not sufficiently realize the scale of the security threat facing Europe, which is hindering efforts to increase defense spending.
He cited the United Kingdom as an example, saying: “The British Defense Minister resigned because the Chancellor of the Exchequer refused to allocate funds for armaments. The funding was not approved because politicians there do not feel a real sense of threat.“
The discussion “War and Peace“ kicked off the “Re_Mind” psychology congress and festival, which is taking place at the Wrocław Congress Center from June 22 to 24. The event brings together over 200 speakers, including renowned psychologist Robert B. Cialdini and Polish Nobel Prize winner Olga Tokarczuk. It is jointly organized by the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (SWPS University), Polish Television and the City of Wrocław, with the Polish Press Agency (PAP) as a media partner.