Houses of Parliament, Poland — All men in Poland will soon be required to take military training in preparation for any potential war, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced.
In a major speech to the Polish parliament, Tusk announced that government work is under way to introduce military training for every adult male in the country.
“We will try to have a ready model by the end of this year so that every adult male in Poland is trained in the event of war. So that this reserve [force] is truly matched to and sufficient to meet potential threats,” Tusk said.
While he noted that the plans are still under development, he clarified that the proposed military training is not a compulsory military service.
“We have several [potential] models. One of the most appreciated is the Swiss model [under which training] is not compulsory but there are incentives that make men undergo annual training,” he noted.
He cited that this move is due to possible threats to Poland following the situation of Ukraine, a neighbouring country.
“Poland’s situation, objectively, and Ukraine’s situation in particular, is more difficult than a few months ago and we must deal with this fact,” Tusk emphasized.