During the inauguration ceremony of the new academic year at the Land Forces Academy in the southwestern city of Wrocław, general Wiesław Kukuła warned new cadets of the prospect of war in Poland.
“Everything points to the fact that we are the generation that will stand with arms in hand in defense of our country… We have to build an armed force prepared for this type of action,” Kukuła said on Friday.
Three former prime ministers—Leszek Miller, Waldemar Pawlak, and Jan Krzysztof Bielecki—hit back at the general on the private Polish broadcaster Polsat News the following day.
“It would be best if General Wieslaw Kukuła resigned,” Bielecki said.
Leszek Miller agreed, and said in a mocking tone that “we are now witnessing that silence is not only golden, but also is an opportunity.”
Pawlak dismissed the general’s comments, arguing that with Poland’s NATO membership, there is no risk of an attack.
“Thanks to the prudent decisions of previous governments, we are now in NATO. In view of this, there is no risk of anyone attacking such a country,” Pawlak said.
Generals respond
Two generals took to the X platform in response to Gen. Kukuła's remarks.
"People jointly responsible for the country's security should speak out appropriately to the place and circumstances," noted Gen. Mirosław Różański, former Commander General of the Armed Forces. "I count on your reflections," he added.
In another post, Gen. Leon Komornicki, former Deputy Chief of General Staff of the Polish Army, said that "the general [Kukuła] is wading into the narrative of scaring Polish women and men with war,” which, he added is "a narrative that is very fraught with consequences.”
Poland bolstering its defenses
Poland’s army will count over 207,500 soldiers by the end of the year, making it the third largest army in NATO in terms of personnel, after the United States and Turkey, according to data from Poland's Ministry of Defense.
Earlier this week, the Polish parliament gave the green light for record defense spending of over 186 billion zlotys (€43 billion) in 2025.
Poland’s relations with Russia and its ally Belarus have deteriorated sharply since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
