NATO should have a bigger footprint in Eastern Europe: Polish ambassador

OTTAWA – Poland’s ambassador to Canada is warning the security and certainty of the international post-Cold War era ended with Russia’s recent annexation of Crimea and that NATO should have a more defined presence in eastern Europe.

Marcin Bosacki says the climate becomes “extremely dangerous” when Russian President Vladimir Putin talks openly, as he did last week, about correcting the mistakes of history.

He noted only a handful of the 62,000 U.S. troops in Europe are based in countries that are new members of NATO and that the military alliance should “strengthen its eastern flanks.”

Slawomir Debski, director of the Centre for Polish-Russian Dialogue and Understanding, says the international community has an obligation to “stop Russia where they are,” and says he’s confident NATO would stand with its new allies, such as Poland and the Baltic states, if they come under threat.

Bosacki says Warsaw and Ottawa have worked closely together throughout the crisis in the Ukraine and the two countries will soon unveil a joint set of initiatives to help the embattled country.

He noted that Poland has been the most successful former East Bloc country to make the transition from communism to free-market democracy and it’s recognized that the country’s experience is invaluable to its eastern neighbour.