The defence ministers of Poland and the UK have declared in Edinburgh that they are united in a bid to strengthen NATO's eastern flank, ahead of this July's summit in Warsaw.

Poland has been pushing for radical changes to the geography of NATO bases since the Ukrainian-Russian crisis began.

“We agreed that a permanent NATO presence is essential in that area [the eastern flank] – action is imperative to change the structure to the extent that this deterrent can actually effectively protect our eastern border,” Poland's defence minister Antoni Macierewicz said.

UK defence secretary Michael Fallon said that a high level British-Polish group, chaired by himself and Macierewicz, will be set up to prepare for the 8-9 July NATO summit in Warsaw.

The announcement follows news that Britain will send troops to take part in NATO exercises in Poland this year.

Brexit risk

With the UK currently trying to renegotiate its membership of the EU, key questions remain, among them the proposed curtailing of benefits for recently arrived immigrants, a matter which affects thousands of Poles.

Poland is campaigning for the UK to remain in the EU, with a referendum due to be held on the question in Britain.

The foreign ministers of Poland and the UK also took part in Wednesday's talks in the Scottish capital, and Britain's foreign secretary Philip Hammond argued that trimming benefits could sway the vote in the referendum.

The UK government wants immigrants to “live here and contribute for four years” before they receive benefits, Hammond noted.

However, Foreign Minister of Poland Witold Waszczykowski indicated that such a policy would not be supported by Warsaw.

“We believe that all inhabitants of the European Union should enjoy equal treaty freedoms,” he said

“We also believe that all inhabitants of the United Kingdom should enjoy equal welfare benefits.” (nh/pk)

Source: PAP