Britain will send 1,000 military personnel to take part in NATO exercises in Poland, part of an agreement with Warsaw to strengthen security ties, the Ministry of Defence has revealed.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon is to make a formal announcement after meeting Polish Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz in the Scottish capital, Edinburgh.
The meeting comes against a backdrop of negotiations ahead of a referendum expected in June, Poland was open to British demands to limit EU migrants if the UK helped build up NATO’s military presence in central Europe Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski told Reuters earlier this month.
Mr Fallon is expected to say:
“The long history between our countries is deeply rooted. This troop commitment demonstrates the UK’s vital work with Nato allies, including Poland, to ensure our collective forces are primed and ready, and sends a clear message to our allies that we are ready to respond to any threat.”
The defence secretary will reportedly also reveal that RAF jets have nearly trebled their strikes against Islamic State in recent weeks.
Well thats a Polish YES to Migrant benefit curbs then…:-)
1000 more than we sent in 1939 then! 😉
Disrepsectful – Big Time!!
The Polish Guarantee was to create a legal reason to declare war on Germany. Sending troops to Poland in 1939 was never on the agenda.
Very disrespectful… we went to war for Poland!!
Steve Harry No it isn’t. It’s fact. And while we are at it chaps having done nothing in any practical sense to actually assist them in 1939 we then deserted Poland to the Soviets at the end of the war and to our everlasting but soon forgotten shame by certain people refused to allow Polish troops who were ferocious warriors for Britain, to appear at the Victory Parade in London in 1945 because we were scared of what the Soviets would say!! As for 1000 troops, we’re russian tanks to pour over the Polish frontier again I think we might… Read more »
Is that to even things out a little? We take 3 million polish you have 1000 soldiers?
If you have been to Bletchley Park you will know that it was Polish Intelligence that handed over, months before Britain declared war on Nazi Germany, all their information on the Enigma machine to MI6. The Poles knew a war was coming and wished to help defeat Nazi Germany. As we do have a long standing relationship with Poland, a fellow NATO member, we should stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them against any further possible attack on them.
Lets have a Polish Legion again in the British Army