MOSCOW, February 19. /TASS/. Polish Deputy Minister of National Defense Stanislav Wzentek has spoken out against the potential deployment of nuclear weapons on Polish soil in an on air commentary to Polskie Radio’s first program.

"I would like this element (nuclear weapons - TASS) to be absent on the territory of our country," the deputy defense minister said. He noted that in the current situation, the deployment of any elements of a nuclear arsenal in Poland "would increase the level of [potential] threat" to the country's national security. The senior official noted that the Polish authorities should instead "focus on modernizing the armed forces with modern conventional weapons" to prepare for a potential military conflict.

Earlier, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk spoke at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz about the nuclear threat to the EU countries allegedly originating from Russia. The head of the Polish government noted that he takes seriously the initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron to provide the EU with Paris’ nuclear capabilities. During a visit to Sweden in January, Macron said that, "France has a responsibility to put its nuclear deterrent at the disposal of the European Union." Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the French leader's rhetoric is only leading to greater escalation of tensions on the European continent.