Elements of the "Eastern Shield" project will be extended to Poland's border with Ukraine in addition to its borders with Russia and Belarus.
This announcement was made by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk during a media briefing on Saturday in the village of Dąbrówka in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship (northeastern Poland), near the border with Russia, as reported by PAP.
"Everything we are doing here (on the border with Russia) and will also do on the borders with Belarus and Ukraine is aimed at deterring and discouraging potential aggressors. This is, in fact, an investment in peace," Tusk stated.
He added that Warsaw would allocate billions of złotys for the initiative, with potential support from EU countries if necessary.
The Polish Prime Minister noted that the recently completed first section of the "Eastern Shield" includes 3,500 concrete elements.
Tusk assured that Baltic region countries will cooperate with Poland to ensure the infrastructure is effective not only along Poland's border but throughout the entire border length, "primarily with Russia and Belarus."
"Our activities, for other reasons, will also address the security of the border with Ukraine. However, we want Poles to feel safer along the entire eastern border," Tusk emphasized.
According to Tusk, there are no plans for forced resettlement from border areas due to the construction of the "Eastern Shield." He underlined that these investments would enhance the safety of the Warmian-Masurian, Podlaskie, Lublin, and Subcarpathian Voivodeships.
The Prime Minister highlighted that this project represents a well-considered sequence of effective defense measures, including concrete barriers, anti-tank ditches, and elements integrated with the natural environment.
"This is the largest project of its kind in Europe since 1945," Tusk concluded.
