Poland lays claim to a leadership role in Europe as Russia’s war threatens stability

By VANESSA GERA and MONIKA SCISLOWSKA
Associated Press

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s foreign minister has called on NATO to increase its defense preparedness and said his government wants to be at the center of decision-making in the European Union, seeking to reestablish the country as a reliable international partner as the war in Ukraine rages across the border. Setting out his vision for Poland at the heart of Europe, Radek Sikorski warned that a Russian attack on NATO would end in defeat for Moscow, but NATO must increase its defenses. The previous national conservative coalition government in Poland clashed frequently with the EU, especially over the rule of law.