Marcin Przydacz made the comment to the media in Warsaw on Tuesday, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
He was speaking ahead of President Andrzej Duda’s trip to Iceland for a Council of Europe summit in Reykjavik, according to officials.
On Monday, Duda held a phone call with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, according to Przydacz.
The talks focused on “preparations for NATO’s July summit in Vilnius, Lithuania" and "proposals important for the alliance’s eastern flank,” Przydacz told reporters.
The Polish presidential aide added: “The conversation also focused on the general security situation in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and on the threats and unpredictable events that are happening, something that Poland didn't experience before.”
Poland, neighbours, NATO 'must prepare for provocations’
Przydacz said: “Poland, the neighbouring countries and NATO itself must carry out certain adaptive work, review procedures and prepare for various types of provocative actions.”
He added: “We want to be prepared as an alliance and we want to continue to be secure and as stable as before.”
‘Military object’ found in forest
Przydacz was also asked about a probe launched by the Supreme Audit Office (NIK) into the performance of the Polish defence ministry and several government agencies following the discovery of a “military object,” possibly a stray Russian missile, in a forest near the north-central city of Bydgoszcz in April.
Przydacz said the president “acknowledges the NIK probe, to which this agency is constitutionally entitled” and added that "the communication between NIK and the president’s office on the matter is positive.”
He also told reporters that in recent days Duda “has held many discussions and exchanged information” with Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak, the Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, Gen. Rajmund Andrzejczak, and Operational Commander Gen. Tomasz Piotrowski.
Meanwhile, a defence ministry report on the discovery of the “military object” is being analysed by officials at the Polish president's National Security Bureau (BBN), reporters were told.
Russian missile?
In late April, Poland’s defence ministry said that “the remains of an unidentified military object have been found in the vicinity of the village of Zamość, some 15 kilometres from Bydgoszcz.”
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said he had instructed his Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak “to personally oversee the investigation and all the work designed to find a definite explanation” for the discovery.
RMF FM reported on May 10 that the "military object" found in north-central Poland last month was a Russian CH-55 missile.
Defence minister says army failed to report discovery
Announcing the results of a government inquiry, Błaszczak said on May 11 that the Polish Armed Forces’ Airborne Operations Command had been alerted by Ukrainian officials about a possible Russian missile heading towards Poland on December 16.
The defence minister said that Poland in response raised combat readiness and Polish and American planes took off to monitor the situation, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.
Moreover, "in line with procedures," the Airborne Operations Command notified the Polish Army’s Operational Commander, Gen. Tomasz Piotrowski, that “an unidentified object has entered Polish airspace,” according to Błaszczak.
But Błaszczak said the inquiry found Piotrowski "neglected to perform his duties by failing to inform" the government "about the object."
Błaszczak added at the time that any “personnel decisions or disciplinary action will be taken after consulting the president, who has the ultimate authority over the armed forces.”
'No need' for 'personnel decisions' at top of army
The president’s National Security Bureau (BBN) said in a statement on May 12 that, according to Duda, there was "no need for now" for "personnel decisions among senior military staff” over the discovery of the “military object."
Action needed to prevent 'such situations’: gov't spokesman
Polish government spokesman Piotr Müller said on May 12 that the results of the government inquiry into the discovery of the “military object” would "be presented to President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.”
Speaking in an interview with state broadcaster TVP Info, Müller said at the time: “All the conclusions from this report should be implemented immediately to ensure that such situations do not occur in the future.”
Earlier that day, Gen. Piotrowski issued a statement in which he urged “sense” and called on Poles not to let themselves be divided as a society amid a government inquiry into the “military object” found last month.
President urges ‘calm,’ says situation 'under control'
Duda on Saturday said that “all important matters" were "under control” and Polish authorities were “drawing conclusions from all the events that are taking place,” the PAP news agency reported.
The head of state made the declaration during a major Polish Army exercise at a military training area in the northern town of Ustka.
Duda told reporters: “I would like the public … to have full confidence that Poland is safe and everyone is seeking to fulfill their duties in the best possible way.”
He stated: “We are aware that there are various situations because this is an unprecedented time.”
The president also said that the war in Ukraine “creates many difficult situations of various kinds, many provocations" and that "these situations need to be analysed" and "assessed in terms of the degree of danger that they pose and the decisions must be taken.”
He added: “These decisions are being taken, the objects are being monitored and we learn the lessons from every event.”
The president declared: “For me, the most important thing is to ensure that Poland is safe, and above all that all our citizens feel safe.”
He offered assurances that “all important matters are under control.”
Duda went on to say: “We are acting very calmly and consistently. I urge everyone to act calmly and without emotion. We are learning the lessons from all the events that are taking place.”
'The president will take appropriate decisions'
A senior Duda aide, Łukasz Rzepecki, told public broadcaster Polish Radio on Saturday that the government report “reached the Presidential Office on Friday.”
Rzepecki added: “After analysing the report, the president will take appropriate decisions if he deems them necessary,” as quoted by the PAP news agency.
Auditors open probe
NIK CEO Marian Banaś told reporters that his agency on Monday began reviewing the performance of the defence ministry “and several other agencies” following the discovery of the “military object.”
Banaś said, as quoted by the PAP news agency: ”The situation is very sensitive and dangerous. A Russian rocket capable of carrying nuclear weapons entered our territory."
Tuesday is day 447 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, niezalezna.pl
