The National Security Council (NSC) has begun. The meeting of the country’s top officials was convened after the violation of Polish airspace by Russian drones. Before the closed-door talks started, President Karol Nawrocki emphasized that people should not succumb to Russian disinformation, which is imposing a narrative about the origin of the aircraft.
“I would like to issue a strong warning—especially to public opinion, but also to all of us—not to succumb to Russian disinformation. This war is truly being waged in the information domain as well. We cannot give in to Russian disinformation, which for the past 24 hours has been suggesting that the drones attacking Polish airspace are Ukrainian in order to drag Poland into the war. Based on all the information I have, this is simply a lie,” Nawrocki said.
Before the NSC meeting began, the President also stressed the need to increase defense spending.
“First, we must increase investment in air defense and missile defense—both in the purchase of new systems and in the development of domestic technologies. That will of course be impossible if we do not reach the level of spending equal to 5 percent of Poland’s GDP on armaments, which seems essential for expanding our security system. I think that 5 percent should be not just a slogan, but should be reflected in the actions of the Polish government and the entire political class next year, and this September 10 has also become a kind of challenge for us in this respect,” he said.
“We must also strengthen […] strengthen civil resilience. Of course, defense is not just the military; it is also efficient alert systems, building shelters and informing and training citizens, and the readiness of local governments to participate in this as well,” he said.
Nawrocki noted that Poland has for years been directly involved in a hybrid war, and the incident of September 10 ultimately confirms this. In his view, the violation of airspace by Russian drones was a test that Poland passed. “However, there are many things we should undertake—especially in the area of Poland’s security and defense—and this council is intended precisely to serve such solutions. My first duty, as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces but also as President of Poland, and the duty of all state authorities, is of course to ensure the safety of the civilian population; that also occurred. Procedures worked, and this was possible above all thanks to the command cadre of the Polish Armed Forces,” he declared.