Poland offers military training to civilians as Russian threat looms
Poland's defence minister on Thursday said it will soon allow civilians to sign up for military trai
WARSAW (AFP) - Poland s defence minister on Thursday said it will soon allow civilians to sign up for military training, as it reinforces its defence system due to anxiety over events in Ukraine.
"All citizens interested in taking part in military exercises will be able to sign up starting March 1" at regional recruitment centres, Tomasz Siemoniak told reporters.
He added that some 38,000 reservists will be called up to take part in exercises in 2016, compared to the 12,000 this year. Poland dropped conscription in 2008.
The ministry also intends to involve paramilitary groups in its defence strategy and will announce the details on March 20.
The NATO member -- and Central Europe s largest country -- is in the process of revamping its armed forces, a big-ticket endeavour that has been sped up since the crisis erupted in neighbouring Ukraine.
Russia s takeover of the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine last year and its support for separatists in the east of the country have sent shivers down the spines of Poles and others in the region.
Warsaw plans to spend 140 billion zloty (33 billion euros, $37 billion) over a decade on the overhaul.
"The chances of a peaceful resolution to the Ukrainian crisis are increasingly slim. Russia s obvious goal is to block Ukraine s path towards Europe," Siemoniak said.
"I think we have some very difficult months and years ahead of us," he added, saying Russia s open use of "military means" poses "a long-term threat to Europe".
