Washington has cleared the sale of air-launched cruise missiles to NATO-ally Poland amid fiery nuclear rhetoric coming out of Russia.
Poland, which borders both the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad and Ukraine, has been a steadfast supporter of Kyiv since Vladimir Putin launched his invasion in 2022.
The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced the sales of 821 Lockheed Martin AGM-158B-2 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles with Extended Range (JASSM-ER), 745 RTX AIM-120C-8 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs), and 232 RTX AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder short-range air-to-air missiles to Poland on March 12.
The DSCA said: “This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a NATO Ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe.
“The proposed sale will improve Poland’s capability to meet current and future threats by providing advanced, long-range strike systems for employment from Polish Air Force air platforms. This sale will further advance the already high level of Polish Air Force interoperability with US joint forces and other regional and NATO forces.”
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However, the agency claimed the sale of hundreds of cruise missiles would “not alter the basic military balance in the region”.
The news came as Vladimir Putin warned that Russia is ready to use nuclear weapons if its sovereignty or independence is threatened, issuing another blunt warning to the West just days before an election in which he’s all but certain to secure another six-year term.
The Russian leader has repeatedly talked about his readiness to use nuclear weapons since launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
The most recent such threat came in his state-of-the-nation address last month when he warned the West that deepening its involvement in the fighting in Ukraine would risk a nuclear war.
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Asked in an interview with Russian state television released early Wednesday if he has ever considered using battlefield nuclear weapons in Ukraine, Putin responded that there has been no need for that.
He also noted that he doesn’t think that the world is heading for a nuclear war, describing US President Joe Biden as a veteran politician who fully understands the possible dangers of escalation.
Still, the remarks appeared to be a message to the West that he’s prepared to use all means to protect his gains in Ukraine.
