Poland closer to NATO nuclear program?

Poland should examine the possibility of joining the NATO nuclear sharing program, deputy Defense Minister Tomasz Szatkowski told Polsat News broadcaster. Szatkowski said that "theoretically, nuclear weapons could be located in Poland," but a political agreement and the adjustment of Polish armed forces to participate in such a program is needed. The Deputy Defense Minister mentioned nuclear weapons carried by F-16 jet fighters. In October, for the first time, Poland participated with F-16s in a NATO nuclear strike exercise in Northern Italy. It was noteworthy because Polish F-16s are not thought to be capable of delivery of nuclear weapons or assigned nuclear strike missions under NATO or U.S. nuclear planning, according to the Federation of American Scientists (FAS). On Saturday, the Ministry of Defense issued a statement denying it was in talks over participating in the nuclear sharing program, however, Jacek Sasin, a prominent politician of the ruling party told Radio Zet the following day that Poland should have access to nuclear weapons.