Poland – Prime Minister Donald Tusk and General Marek Wawrzyniak inspect the first complete section of the Eastern Wall. Photo: Wojtek Radwanski / AFP
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on Saturday the completion of the first section of the Eastern Shield fortifications on the border with Russia and Belarus, noting that the project is a strategic investment in security and peace in Europe, The Washington Times reports.
Tusk made the statement after visiting soldiers guarding the border near the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. The prime minister stressed that the construction of the fortifications, which was due to start in the first quarter of 2025, had been accelerated to ensure greater security for Poland and its neighbours. “Everything we do here – and we will do on the borders with Belarus and Ukraine – is to deter a potential aggressor,” he said.
The Eastern Shield project, which includes more than 800 km of fortifications, barriers and military infrastructure on Poland’s borders with Russia and Belarus, is the largest in the history of Europe after 1945. The plan also includes the construction of threat detection systems, outposts, logistics centres and anti-drone operations. Poland has already allocated around €2.3 billion to the plan, which is expected to be completed by 2028.
“This project will be part of NATO’s overall defence infrastructure on the eastern flank, which is important to counter threats from Russia and Belarus,” Tusk added. He also said that the Baltic states will cooperate with Poland to ensure the effectiveness of fortifications along Europe’s eastern border.
