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Poland will receive its first batch of F-35 stealth fighter jets under a deal signed with the US, as the Nato member looks to secure its borders with Russia and Ukraine.
The announcement by Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz came as US President Donald Trump said he would send 5,000 troops to Poland, amid ongoing Nato anxiety about the US commitment to the alliance.
“The F-35s, together with the weaponry purchased in recent months, are changing the face of our armed forces. Not just our air force,” Kosiniak-Kamysz told reporters.
“These are the first F-35s on NATO’s eastern flank. This shows how much, today, Poland is a major strategic partner, the best ally of the US in Europe.”
Poland ordered a total of 32 ultra-modern fifth generation F-35s in 2020, during Trump’s first term, with a $4.6 bn price tag and delivery to be completed by 2029.
Nato chief Mark Rutte and Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski welcomed Trump’s surprise troop deployment.
Trump did not give details but it appeared to reverse a decision to call off sending US 4,000 troops to the country — seen as a signal of his anger over Nato allies’ lack of support in the Iran war.
With Russia’s war in neighbouring Ukraine still raging, Poland is NATO’s top spender on defence this year, devoting the equivalent of more than 4.8 % of GDP to modernise its army with arms purchases worth billions of euros, mainly from the US and South Korea.
