Marek Ziolkowski: Threats from the East and South to be discussed at the Warsaw Summit

“It is planned to discuss threats to the Alliance from the Eastern and Southern flanks At the Warsaw Summit to be held in early July,” – announced Marek Ziolkowski, Undersecretary of State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Poland during the 9th Kyiv Security Forum, organized by Arseniy Yatsenyuk Open Ukraine Foundation.

He noted that it is no mere coincidence that the next NATO summit will be held in the country on the Eastern border of Europe, because the attention of the Member States has been currently focused on this region.

"Our summit will be versatile to a certain extent, particularly because we will discuss both threats from the East and from the South, analyze all challenges in security, emerging around our region from all sides,” – said Marek Ziolkowski.

According to him, discussions on further action in these two fields continue to be held in NATO. “In some ways it is even more difficult to discuss the Southern one as challenges and threats in this wing are not as obvious as those in the East,” – said the Undersecretary of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Poland.

Marek Ziolkowski is convinced that NATO should change the views on the European security architecture, “move on to more traditional way of thinking, keeping in mind the lack of security, all the more so that there is a war in Ukraine, in the Donbas. Security situation in Europe in general has crucially deteriorated over the past few years. And the alliance takes this into account while getting prepares for the next summit, preparing documents for meetings at the highest level”.

He also said that massive military exercises of NATO Member States are planned before the summit. “The summit in Poland will be preceded by the massive military training “Anaconda”. More than 20 thousand military servicemen, including those from the US, will take part in these military exercises,” – said the representative of Poland.

Marek Ziolkowski noted that the President of Ukraine will be invited to the Warsaw Summit as well; he is to take part in the Ukraine-NATO Commission.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION:

The annual international event Kyiv Security Forum launched by Arseniy Yatsenyuk Foundation Open Ukraine in 2007 is a platform for debate on the most pressing security issues in Europe and the Black Sea Region.

Internet broadcast of the Forum:

9th Kyiv Security Forum (Ukrainian):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4bx8DXN4wk

9th KYIV SECURITY FORUM (ENGLISH)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEG5fdmhG2g