00:00The United States is opening a new NATO air defence base in Wrocław, northern Poland,
00:17marking a significant expansion of NATO�s missile shield in Eastern Europe.
00:22Located approximately 150 km from Russia�s Kaliningrad region, the Aegis Assured Facility
00:28represents the second such U.S. installation in Eastern Europe, complementing an existing
00:34base in Romania.
00:36The complex, under the construction since 2000s, integrates with NATO�s broader missile
00:41defence infrastructure, including a radar facility in Turkey, a command centre in Germany
00:47and a U.S. Navy destroyer station in Spain�s port of Rota.
00:52Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Moscow has intensified its opposition to NATO�s
00:58eastward expansion.
01:00Following Finland�s NATO accession and Sweden�s pending membership, Russia has particularly
01:06hardened its stance against military infrastructure near its border.
01:11The Kremlin has responded recently by deploying the nuclear-capable Iskander missiles to Kaliningrad
01:17and increasing the military presence along the western border.
01:20The Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, has characterized the new base as a direct containment
01:25of Russia�s military potential, dismissing earlier U.S. justification about Iranian threats
01:31as false.
01:33He emphasized that Russia will take appropriate measures to ensure parity, reflecting Moscow�s
01:39consistent position that NATO�s expansion is threatening its national security.
01:45This also aligns with President Putin�s two-decade-long warning about NATO�s eastward
01:50movement, which he claims undermines Russia�s security interest.
01:55Poland, currently serving as NATO�s primary logistical hub for Ukraine, views the base
02:01as a cornerstone of the security alliance with the United States.
02:06Polish Foreign Minister Wladyslaw Sikorski has highlighted the project�s significance,
02:11emphasizing the enduring Polish-American partnership, regardless of political leadership changes
02:16in either country.
02:18The facility�s opening occurs amid heightened regional tension with Poland significantly
02:23increasing the defense spending and military modernization efforts since 2022.
02:28The base�s capability to intercept short-to-intermediate-range ballistic missiles adds a crucial layer to
02:35NATO�s eastern flank defense architecture.
02:39Russia maintains that the warning about potential Russian aggression towards Western Europe
02:44is nonsense and is designed to inflate the Western expansion of NATO.
02:50However, since 2022, Moscow has repeatedly warned that increased NATO military presence
02:56near the border will only lead to escalating tensions and potential military responses.
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