More than a dozen U.S.-made M1 Abrams tanks arrived at the Baltic Sea port city of Szczecin on Wednesday as part of Poland’s multibillion-dollar military modernization effort, which has intensified since Russia invaded Ukraine.
The transfer will help fill an armored arsenal gap after Poland sent about 240 Soviet-era T-72 tanks to Ukraine. Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said on Twitter that Polish authorities are strengthening the armed forces to “effectively deter the aggressor.” It was a clear reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The security of Poland and other Eastern European NATO states was put into the spotlight again this week after Wagner Group mercenaries aborted a mutiny against Mr. Putin’s government. Under a deal that ended the weekend crisis, Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin and unknown thousands of the company’s troops relocated to Belarus. Their camps are near the Russian ally’s border with NATO countries.
Polish President Andrzej Duda said Tuesday that the sudden presence of Wagner Group troops inside Belarus was a “very negative signal for us, which we want to raise strongly with our allies.” Mr. Duda and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda made surprise visits to Kyiv on Wednesday to discuss the past week’s events with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and to preview a July 11-12 NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Polish defense officials said 14 M1A1 Abrams tanks were on the first ship and about 100 more were to follow as part of a $1.4 billion contract. The tanks were originally intended for the U.S. Marines, but the service’s shift to a more nimble, amphibious-focused force focused on China and East Asia made the metal behemoths expandable.
“They are here. The Abrams — the best friends of the American Marines — will soon join our soldiers and take care of Poland’s security,” Mr. Blaszczak said on Twitter. “This is an important day for the Polish army.” He hailed the Abrams tanks as the “best in the world” and said Poland would soon have a sufficient number to field a battalion’s worth.
In addition to the M1A1 Abrams, Poland is buying 250 top-of-the-line M1A2 tank models in a separate $4.75 billion deal. They are scheduled arrive by 2026, but officials in Warsaw hope to accelerate the delivery.
“Not every country can have such tanks. Poland is the first country outside the United States that will have Abrams tanks in the most modern version,” Mr. Blaszczak said, according to Agence France-Presse.
Poland, a member of NATO, has emerged as a staunch ally of Ukraine. Officials announced this year that Warsaw intends to spend 4% of its gross domestic product on defense, twice the NATO benchmark of 2% for alliance members.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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