Poland steps up efforts to strengthen border with Belarus
- 15 October, 13:55
Poland will start construction of its "East Shield" project in an effort to strengthen its eastern borders with Russia and Belarus, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Monday.
The construction will start by the end of this year instead of next year, as planned, Tusk said. It will include the construction of military fortifications and other defence measures, physical barriers, state-of-the-art airspace monitoring systems, and electronic equipment and systems.
Writing in X social media platform, Tusk announced: "Our right and our duty is to protect the Polish and European border, adding that "its security will not be subject to negotiation." "I am glad that it has already become a fact that the British are also cooperating with us on the East Shield, and the Americans are ready,” he said, stressing that "There will be European funds for all this, not only national ones. I will talk about it in Brussels in the coming days and weeks.” Poland first announced East Shield in May.
Poland along with the Baltic states of Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia has stepped up efforts to strengthen their borders with Belarus. Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia announced pans for constructing the “Baltic defence line” in January. Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur said the Baltic countries were seeking EU funding for the project that “strengthens the security of the European Union”.
