Poland 'Open' To Nuclear Weapons On Its Soil From U.S.

Poland says it's 'open' to the U.S. putting nuclear weapons on its soil as the country's leaders ask for 50% more American troops in Europe and tougher action on Russia

James Gordon For Dailymail.com

Poland has said it would be 'open' to having nuclear weapons stationed in the country and would also welcome a 50 percent increase in the number of U.S. troops stationed in Europe, the leader of the country's ruling party said on Sunday.

Warsaw is also calling for tougher action against Moscow over the conflict in Ukraine.

If Poland decides to take on the responsibility of hosting American nuclear warheads, it would be a significant escalation in the new Cold War with Russia.

Putin would likely see the move as a provocative one. 

'Poland would be pleased if the Americans increased their presence in Europe from the current 100,000 soldiers up to 150,000 in the future due to Russia's increasing aggressiveness,' Jaroslaw Kaczynski, 72,  told German newspaper Welt am Sonntag.

'If the Americans asked us to store US nuclear weapons in Poland, we would be open to that. It would significantly increase deterrence towards Moscow. 

'Of these, 75,000 soldiers should be stationed on the eastern flank; ie, on the border with Russia; 50,000 soldiers in the Baltic states and Poland,' he said in the interview, which was also published on the website of Poland's ruling party Law and Justice (PiS). 

'That would send a clear signal to Moscow: the Nato leadership is now also present in the east,' he said.