Poland 'open' to hosting US nuclear weapons, says deputy PM Kaczynski

Poland's deputy prime minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski has said his country is "open" to hosting US nuclear weapons as Russia continues its war in neighbouring Ukraine.

Kaczynski added that Poland was ready to host more US troops. "Poland would be pleased if the Americans increased their presence in Europe from the current 100,000 soldiers up to 150,000 in the future due to Russia's increasing aggressiveness," Jaroslaw Kaczynski said.

Poland has been increasingly worried over Russia's military campaign in Ukraine even as thousands of US troops are already stationed in Europe. In an interview with a German newspaper, Kaczynski called the "eastern flank" to be better protected than before while calling for a 50 per cent increase in US troops in Europe.

The Polish leader said his country can "store American nuclear weapons in Poland" if the US government asks amid tensions in eastern Europe in the aftermath of the Russian invasion on Ukraine.

Just days after launching the attack on Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin had put nuclear weapons on alert sending shockwaves across NATO countries.

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Kaczynski added that extending nuclear weapons to the eastern flank "makes sense". The Polish leader also hit out against Germany's energy policy towards Russia saying that it was "politically and morally unacceptable" and that the German government should make its stand clear and not support "Russia with billions in energy purchase fees."

Meanwhile, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki called for an international probe to investigate this "crime of genocide" against Russia after bodies of civilians were found in mass graves in Bucha near capital Kyiv.

(With inputs from Agencies)