Poland\u2019s Armed Forces Day parade marked the 103rd anniversary of victory over the Soviet Union in the Battle of Warsaw. NATO member Poland held its biggest military parade since the Cold War in an event that marked victory over Soviet forces in 1920 and showcased the country\u2019s state-of-the-art weaponry as war rages in neighbouring Ukraine and defence takes centre-stage ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for October. The Armed Forces Day parade on Tuesday marked the 103rd anniversary of Poland\u2019s victory over the Soviet Union\u2019s Red Army in the Battle of Warsaw in 1920, during which Polish troops defeated Bolshevik forces advancing on Europe. Russia\u2019s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has made boosting the Polish armed forces a priority for the country\u2019s ruling nationalists Law and Justice (PiS). With the country\u2019s election campaign in full swing, the immense display of military hardware on Tuesday provided a chance for the government to promote its security credentials. \u201cThe defence of our eastern border, the border of the European Union and of NATO is today a key element of Poland\u2019s state interest,\u201d Poland\u2019s President Andrzej Duda, the chief commander of the armed forces, said in his opening speech at the event. How will the Ukraine war affect Poland’s future?Crowds, waving national white-and-red flags, gathered in scorching temperatures that reached 35C (95F) to see United States-made Abrams tanks, HIMARS mobile artillery systems and Patriot missile systems on parade through the streets of the capital. Also on display were F-16 fighter planes, South Korean FA-50 fighters and K9 howitzers. A US Air Force F-35 roared overhead in a sign Poland was also buying these advanced fighter planes. Polish-made equipment including Krab tracked gun howitzers and Rosomak armoured transporters were also featured. Tanks with armed soldiers standing inside and saluting roll through the streets. There are crowds behind them and Polish red and white flags are waving off polesSome 2,000 troops from Poland and other NATO countries took part in the parade as well as 200 military vehicles and other equipment and almost 100 aircraft. \u201cAugust 15 is not only an opportunity to pay homage to the heroes of the victorious Battle of Warsaw and to thank contemporary soldiers for defending our homeland,\u201d Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak told troops and onlookers who had gathered near the Vistula River. \u201cIt is also a perfect day to show our strength, to show that we have built powerful armed forces that will effectively defend our borders without hesitation,\u201d he said. Poland\u2019s army has more than 175,000 troops, an increase from approximately 100,000 eight years ago, Duda said. He also said Poland\u2019s defence budget this year will be a record 137 billion zlotys ($34bn) or some 4 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP), the highest proportion in all of NATO. \u201cThe goal of this huge modernisation is to equip Poland\u2019s armed forces and create such a defence system that no one ever dares attack us, that Polish soldiers will never need to fight,\u201d Duda said, while voicing his respect for the military. Responding to criticism that Poland, a nation of some 37 million, was taking out huge loans to make the purchases, Duda said: \u201cWe cannot afford to be idle. This is why we are strengthening our armed forces here and now.\u201d \u201cThe security of Poles is priceless,\u201d he added. An international journalist\u00a0Osama Bin Javaid, reporting from Warsaw, said that more than 100 years since the war with Soviet forces, \u201ca shadow of war\u201d looms once again on Poland\u2019s borders. \u201cAnd that is why the government continues to tell its people that it needs a strong, powerful army,\u201d he said. Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Poland\u2019s conservative government has focused on strengthening the armed forces and spent more than $16bn on tanks, missile interceptor systems and fighter jets, many bought from the US and South Korea. Poland has a border to the east with the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad; with Lithuania, a fellow NATO member; and with Russia\u2019s key ally Belarus as well as with Ukraine. Military upgrades have bolstered Poland\u2019s defence capabilities and some items replaced Soviet- and Russian-made equipment that Poland provided to Ukraine in its fight against Russia. Poland is building one of Europe\u2019s strongest armies to beef up deterrence against potential aggressors and has increased the number of troops to some 10,000 along its border with Belarus, where it has also built a wall to stop migrants arriving from that direction.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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