DISINFO: Berlin and Brussels are afraid of the strong Polish Army
SUMMARY
The EU leadership’s attempts to deprive Poland of funds from the European budget partially dictated by the fact that Warsaw plans to spend this money on the modernisation of its Army, which may become stronger than the German armed forces. The actions of the European Commission are connected to the plans of the Polish Government to spend 110 billion euros on the development of its armed forces in the coming years. If it happens, the Polish Army will become much stronger than the German armed forces. Therefore, Berlin and Brussels may believe that if Poland does not receive the EU money, it will not be able to create one of the largest armies in Europe.
RESPONSE
This message is a part of the Kremlin’s disinformation narratives about deep internal divisions within the EU.
The claim that the European Commission and the German authorities want to hamper Polish attempts to develop its armed forces is ungrounded. The current dispute between Warsaw and Brussels regarding the allocation of money from the EU Cohesion Fund has no connection to military issues. The reason for this dispute is the EU's insistence that the Polish authorities comply with crucial EU requirements on fundamental rights. In December 2022, the Polish authorities manifested their readiness to solve this legal issue.
The ongoing modernisation of the Polish Army and purchases of advanced military equipment is the Polish response to the current security crisis taking place in Eastern Europe – this situation is a result of the Russian annexation of Crimea and military aggression against Ukraine in Donbas.
The 2020 National Security Strategy of Poland states that the most serious security threat for this country is the neo-imperial policy of the authorities of the Russian Federation, pursued by means of military force (aggression against Georgia, illegal annexation of Crimea and military actions in eastern Ukraine).
See other messages about the EU disintegration and European domestic contradictions here.