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Russia undermines European security, minister warns

Mateusz Marek/PAP

The European security landscape has deteriorated visibly owing to Russia’s militaristic policy, Poland’s defence minister has warned.

Speaking at the opening of the Warsaw Security Forum on Tuesday, Mariusz Blaszczak said Russia now bases its international position on military power, direct and indirect threats, and other means of pressuring the international community.

His words reflect continued unease in Poland over a Russian state that appears willing to use military force to achieve its goals – Russia went to war with Georgia in 2008, invaded and annexed Ukraine’s Crimea in 2014 and helped instigate and fuel conflict in eastern Ukraine.

“Here in Europe, the security landscape has deteriorated visibly owing to Russia’s policy, which is defined by the constant build-up of its military power, direct or indirect threats to the international arena, and the use of other means in which it can test our resilience,” Blaszczak said.

The minister referred to the recent Zapad war games in western Russia as “a visible demonstration of military power on Russia’s part,” and warned that Russian military build ups in the Baltic and Black Sea regions, and the Arctic, as well as its advanced hybrid warfare techniques pose a mounting security challenge to Europe.

To counter this and to dispel uncertainty in Europe over what Russia will do next, Blaszczak said that Europe needs an effective defence strategy that involves a “reliable and honest” assessment of Moscow’s impact on European security.

“This is even more important today, in times when the security environment in Europe and other regions is less stable and less predictable than a few years ago,” he said. “We are not sure how this situation will develop but, precisely for this reason, we must be prepared for various scenarios, including difficult and undesirable ones.”

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