NATO Missile Base in Poland Sparks Global Tensions

A new U.S. ballistic missile defense base in Poland has been labeled by Russia as a provocation that heightens nuclear danger. Poland maintains the base's defensive purpose, strengthening NATO arguments. The missile shield, named 'Aegis Ashore,' aims to intercept short- to intermediate-range ballistic missiles.

The opening of a U.S. ballistic missile defense base in northern Poland has escalated concerns about nuclear security, Russian officials claimed on Thursday.

In the coastal town of Redzikowo, the new NATO air defense base has been deemed a provocative act in the ongoing series of strategic moves by the United States and its allies, according to Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova. Russia argues that this exacerbates strategic instability and raises the nuclear threat level.

Despite Russian assertions, the Polish government insists that the base, part of a NATO missile shield known as 'Aegis Ashore', serves a purely defensive role with no nuclear missiles deployed. NATO maintains that the shield is designed to intercept potential short- to intermediate-range missile threats.

(With inputs from agencies.)