'We are declaring our readiness': No decision made yet as Poland declares it's ready to host nuclear weapons
Polish President Andrzej Duda says while no decision has been made around whether Poland will host nuclear weapons as part of an expansion of the NATO alliance鈥檚 nuclear sharing program, his country is willing and prepared to do so.
鈥淚 don't know anything about such decisions, so responsibly speaking I am saying there are no such decisions in place, but we are declaring our readiness,鈥 Duda told CTV鈥檚 Question Period host Vassy Kapelos in an exclusive interview airing Sunday.
Duda spoke in Polish, through a translator.
According to NATO, the alliance鈥檚 nuclear sharing arrangements ensure all member states both share in the risk, but also benefit from 鈥渃ollective defence,鈥 by strategically hosting nuclear weapons in certain countries. The United States, the United Kingdom, and France are all nuclear weapons states in their right, while Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Turkiye, and Italy all host nuclear weapons provided by the U.S.
All NATO also share the responsibility of decision making when it comes to nuclear missions and deterrence.
With Russia鈥檚 war on Ukraine past the two-year mark, Duda said if NATO collectively decides to bolster defences on its eastern flank by having Poland host nuclear weapons, his country is prepared.
鈥淚t is not any kind of new information,鈥 Duda said. 鈥淔or many years in fact, we have repeated that if NATO allies make such a decision to deploy within NATO or to broaden the program of nuclear sharing to include Poland, then we are ready, because we understand that this is about strengthening the security of Europe.鈥
When asked whether that is any closer to happening, Duda said alliance members haven鈥檛 reached a verdict.
鈥淲e raised this topic in conversations with allies,鈥 he said. 鈥淭here are no decisions in this regard 鈥 I want to deny all the claims that some decisions have been made on this one, I have not participated in making any decisions.鈥
Duda said there is no doubt that if Russian President Vladimir Putin is successful in conquering Ukraine, he will continue his offensive and invade other countries.
He repeated that Poland is 鈥渞eady鈥 to host nuclear weapons, 鈥渂ecause we can see that Russia is dangerous again, that Russia is deploying its nuclear weapons.鈥
Putin warned last month that Russia is prepared to deploy its nuclear arsenal.
鈥淎nd it's not the West which is provoking Russia, it's not NATO which is provoking Russia, on the contrary,鈥 he added. 鈥淚t is Russia which is provoking the West.鈥
Duda said NATO members are 鈥渆xclusively鈥 responding to Russia鈥檚 aggression.
In his interview, Duda also discussed Russia鈥檚 war on Ukraine and the risk of 鈥渋nsatiable鈥 Russian imperialism, his relationship with former U.S. president Donald Trump, the NATO defence spending target, and his openness to purchasing Canadian liquefied natural gas, were it on the market.
You can watch Duda鈥檚 full interview on CTV鈥檚 Question Period, Sunday at 11 a.m. ET, and in the video player at the top of this article.
With files from CTV鈥檚 Question Period Senior Producer Stephanie Ha
IN DEPTH
Jagmeet Singh pulls NDP out of deal with Trudeau Liberals, takes aim at Poilievre Conservatives
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has pulled his party out of the supply-and-confidence agreement that had been helping keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberals in power.
'Not the result we wanted': Trudeau responds after surprise Conservative byelection win in Liberal stronghold
Conservative candidate Don Stewart winning the closely-watched Toronto-St. Paul's federal byelection, and delivering a stunning upset to Justin Trudeau's candidate Leslie Church in the long-time Liberal riding, has sent political shockwaves through both parties.
'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government鈥檚 three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party鈥檚 popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn鈥檛 be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
National ceremony in Ottawa marks Truth and Reconciliation Day
The smell of sage and sweetgrass floated in the air Monday over a mostly sombre ceremony to reflect on the legacy of residential schools and remember those who survived 鈥 and the thousands who didn't.
BREAKING Israeli military says 'limited' operation against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon has begun
Israel's widely expected ground invasion of Lebanon appeared to be getting underway early on Tuesday as its military said troops had begun 'limited' raids against Hezbollah targets in the border area.
Canada secures 800 plane seats to help its citizens get out of Lebanon
Ottawa must do more to help Canadian citizens leave Lebanon, says the son of a Canadian couple killed last week when an Israeli bomb hit their car in the country's south.
BREAKING Pete Rose, baseball's hits leader who was banned for life for betting on the game, dead at 83
Pete Rose, Major League Baseball's all-time hits leader who was banned from baseball for gambling on the game, has died at 83.
A B.C. condo owner who was blamed for a cockroach infestation in her building and charged thousands of dollars for the cost of eradicating the bugs must be refunded, the civil resolution tribunal ruled.
Joly targets polarization in UN speech, urges liberals to reclaim the word 'freedom'
Foreign Affairs Minister M茅lanie Joly is asking members of the United Nations to counter growing political polarization abroad while taking shots at Conservative rhetoric at home.
Health Canada recalls nearly 60 more unauthorized sexual enhancement products
Health Canada issued a recall last week for various sexual enhancement products for containing prescribed drugs like tadalafil and sildenafil.
TD Bank to pay more than US$28M in settlement for market manipulation
TD Bank Group has agreed to pay more than US$28 million after an investigation into manipulation of the U.S. Treasuries market by one of its traders.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs appeals for release while he awaits sex trafficking trial
Sean "Diddy" Combs is appealing a federal judge's decision to keep him in jail while he awaits trial on sex trafficking charges.
Local Spotlight
On Saturday night at her parents鈥 home in Delaware, Ont. the Olympic bronze medallist in pole vault welcomed everyone who played a role in getting her to the podium in Paris.
A tale about a taxicab hauling gold and sinking through the ice on Larder Lake, Ont., in December 1937 has captivated a man from that town for decades.
When a group of B.C. filmmakers set out on a small fishing boat near Powell River last week, they hoped to capture some video for a documentary on humpback whales. What happened next blew their minds.
A pizza chain in Edmonton claims to have the world's largest deliverable pizza.
Sarah McLachlan is returning to her hometown of Halifax in November.
Wayne MacKay is still playing basketball twice at Mount Allison University at 87 years old.
A man from a small rural Alberta town is making music that makes people laugh.
An Indigenous artist has a buyer-beware warning ahead of Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Police are looking to the public for help after thieves broke into a Lethbridge ice creamery, stealing from the store.