NATO's Europe chief pleased with Poland's Patriot deal

Speaking during a visit to the Multinational Corps Northeast in Szczecin in Poland's northwest on Tuesday, General Curtis Scaparrotti said the systems, purchased last week, would boost Poland's security.

It was his first visit to Szczecin since he took over as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR).

While in Szczecin, Scaparrotti also reiterated that NATO was set to decide in July on hosts for two new command centres, one for planning and strategy for the North Atlantic, the other for logistics in Europe, which the US and Germany have offered to host.

NATO is changing its command structures to adjust to the current situation, Scaparrotti said.

Poland's defence ministry previously suggested setting up a third, army-level command centre and proposed using Szczecin as its headquarters.

The Multinational Corps Northeast was created in 1999 and is commanded by Polish, German and Dutch officers.

It is responsible for monitoring the security of the alliance's northeastern flank.

Soldiers from more than 20 different countries are now stationed in Szczecin, including troops from Finland and Sweden, which are not NATO members.

After visiting Poland, Scaparrotti is set to visit Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, as those countries, like Poland, have since 2017 been hosting multinational battalion battle groups under a 2016 NATO decision to bolster the alliance's eastern flank in response to Russia's annexation of Crimea. (vb/gs)

Source: PAP, IAR