US and Polish officials open missile defense site that Russia has long protested

Associated Press

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — U.S. and Polish officials have opened a new NATO missile defense base in northen Poland. Polish officials welcomed it as a significant boost to the security of the nation and the wider NATO region at a time of war in neighboring Ukraine. The U.S. missile defense base is being integrated into NATO’s defenses. It was originally conceived years ago as a way to protect Europe from ballistic threats from Iran. But Poland has always seen it as a guarantee of U.S. protection in case of Russia aggression. The Kremlin denounced it as a challenge to its own military potential that would require measures “to ensure parity.”