Russia Is Biggest Threat to Global Security Says Poland

Russia "is the biggest threat to global security today" according to Polish Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz, Polish national broadcaster PR reports.

The Polish Defense Minister, who has been a frequent critic of Russian foreign policy, spoke after NATO announced its decision to deploy four battalions in Poland and the three Baltic allies who have expressed concern that Russia may use dissent among pro-Russian groups to launch a military intervention in the way Moscow did in Ukraine and Georgia in 2008.

"No country in recent history…has undermined international order to the extent Russia has, first attacking Georgia, then Ukraine, and continuously occupying the territory of an independent state, openly indicating that it does not want to accept the independence of that state and its sovereignty," Macierewicz said.

Neither Georgia nor Ukraine are NATO members, however, pro-Russian militant groups rose to influence during their respective attempts to join the alliance. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recently said Russia would not invade any NATO state. However, Russian defense officials have repeatedly highlighted that they see NATO's reinforcement as a threat and may chose to attack them in response.

"Russia must accept that it is one of many countries in the world with equal rights…but it does not have the right to constantly impose its views, its rules and its army on other countries and other nations," Macierewicz added.

"Today an attack on Poland would be an attack on the whole of NATO and the United States in particular," the Polish defense minister added.

NATO will announce full details of its planned eastern reinforcement at a summit that will be hosted by Poland in July.