UPDATE - Poland plans large-scale military training for all adult males

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS, REVISES HEADLINE, LEDE

By Ahmet Gencturk and Burak Bir

ATHENS/LONDON (AA - The Polish prime minister on Friday announced plans for a large-scale military training for every adult male amid security challenges in Europe, state news agency PAP reported.

Addressing the parliament, Donald Tusk said that by the end of the year, Warsaw wants to have a "final model, so that every adult man in Poland would be trained in case of war."

"The preparations are underway for large-scale military training for every adult man. Women also would be included, but, as we all know, the war is, however, still more the men's domain," Tusk said.

He said Poland seeks to increase its army size to 500,000 military personnel, from more than 200,000 now.

Tusk also underlined the growing rift between Europe and the US. He focused on the recent intra-Europe and EU summits on the European security and Ukraine war, saying: "There is a picture, albeit discomforting for us, emerging that reflects the ongoing transformations in the realm of geopolitics."

Noting that the country's two main pillars are the alliance with the US and Poland's strong position in unified Europe, he said: "It's not easy to reconcile these two today."

- 'It's time to be more assertive about most modern battlefield technologies'

He said the rift between the US and EU has been expanding since US President Donald Trump took office. Since taking charge, Trump has suspended Ukraine aid, advanced talks to end Russia's war and dismissed security guarantees for Kyiv. In turn, European leaders are moving fast to increase defense spending and support for Ukraine.

Since the US policy towards Ukraine has been undergoing a dramatic change, it obliges Poland to draw conclusions for its own security, he said.

On the strengthening of European defensive capabilities, Tusk said Poland suggested setting up a European "armaments bank" that would finance solely defense investments.

The premier said he supports Poland's potential decision to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention on Anti-Personnel Mines and the Dublin Convention on migration.

Stressing that the country will work and try to acquire "non-conventional means of defense," Tusk remarked: "We're talking with France about the nuclear umbrella idea."

"It's time to be more assertive about the most modern battlefield technologies. Conventional means are no longer enough," he added.

"We must look for the most modern solutions related to nuclear weapons and state-of-the-art conventional weapons."