The first of the series of debates on Friday was opened by Tomasz Siemoniak, the Minister of National Defence. He started his presentation by describing the historical context of the transatlantic involvement of the United States. "We are now celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Invasion of Normandy", he recalled.
A majority of his presentation focused on the current role of NATO. "Before the Ukrainian crisis, NATO was at a crossroads. We wondered about the role of the alliance after its withdrawal from Afghanistan. The crisis in Ukraine is a loud alarm bell", said Tomasz Siemoniak. "It is good that the West is downplaying the events and that the meaning of the words "annexation" and "aggression" is not being weakened.
In his diagnosis, Minister Siemoniak stated that the crisis caused by the events in Ukraine will not end soon and, consequently, NATO should elaborate a long-term strategy. He identified two foundations of such a strategy: increased military spending and NATO presence in Central and Eastern Europe.
During the debate, Alexander Vershbow, deputy Secretary General of NATO, pointed at the fact that since the start of the Ukrainian crisis many countries, in particular in the east of Europe, have requested reinforcement of their military forces. "The crisis in Ukraine has demonstrated that NATO cannot focus on itself. NATO partner countries should become an important part of NATO's vision.
The events in Ukraine were also discussed by Bogdan Klich, former Minister of National Defence. "Russia's aggression against Ukraine eliminated any doubts as to whether NATO is needed. It is", he emphasized.
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