What is the concept of utilizing Central Pomerania for the fast adoption of allied troops and their effective deployment in the country? We are discussing the plans of the Ministry of Defence with Maciej Samsonowicz, advisor to the Minister of National Defence and head of the squad developing the “Pact for safety of Poland – Central Pomerania”.
What is the “Pact for the safety of Poland – Central Pomerania”? Why has this region been treated specifically by the Ministry of Defence and received a separate development?
Maciej Samsonovich: In the event of a crisis, we must be ready in a very short time to accept a crucial number of allied troops in Poland and deploy them efficiently. It is simply a key component of our strategy of deterrence, designed to encourage a possible aggressor to rethink the decision on a possible attack. However, the success of this plan is conditional on having adequate infrastructure. Maritime transport remains the most effective means of transferring large military forces. It is so essential to make and modernise ports and road, rail and air infrastructure in Central Pomerania so that it can be utilized effectively in the event of a threat.
If we look at the ports, we have mostly a Tricity and a Świnoujście. But, for example, Gdynia, despite its many advantages, is disadvantaged towards Kaliningrad.
In order for Gdynia to function as a real port receiving mass military supplies, we request to guarantee that they can be unloaded rapidly and that the arms are distributed equally smoothly into the country. Unfortunately, that is presently impossible. The alleged Red Road, or the eight-kilometre connection of the port to the tricity bypass, has not yet been established. Already in 2017, the U.S. Department of defence wrote to the Polish government with a request to build it as a strategical investment. However, by 2024 small had happened – real works only started after the change of government.
Furthermore, the alternate way – Estakada Kwiatkowskiego – has been closed for respective weeks for the truck traffic. It had already failed to meet the standards for oversized transports, both in terms of burden capacity and size. It is besides placed on pillars, which makes it susceptible to demolition and easy to block. In the present state, road infrastructure around the port prevents the fast removal of dense military equipment – this is the state of affairs that we found after taking work for the ministry. The disregard by the predecessors of the American recommendations and the failure to act on the Red Way are absolutely incomprehensible. The peculiar Services Committee has been on this case for almost a year. And for this reason, the president of this committee, Marek Biernacki, late referred the substance to the Committee on Russian Influence Research.
It is worth noting that in 2022, after the outbreak of the full-scale war in Ukraine, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki issued order No. 175, ordering the preparation of proposals for actions in the field of implementation and financing of infrastructure. Even a peculiar squad was formed with the leading function of the erstwhile Minister of National Defence, but the effects of his work were lacking – only 3 meetings took place in 2 years. There was no report.
What is the plan to improve the situation in Gdynia and what will be the costs?
Deputy Prime Minister, National Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz asked the Ministry of Finance on 24 February to safe funds for both projects. And in another letter to the Ministry of Infrastructure for exemption from environmental arrangements due to strategical importance. The construction of the Red Road is to begin as shortly as possible. As for costs – in 2017, the investment cost was estimated at about PLN 800 million. Currently, costs have increased to about PLN 4.5 billion. In addition, the Kwiatkowski Estakada requires a thorough reconstruction to be able to fulfil its defence function again, which will cost another nearly PLN 500 million. However, both of these investments must be implemented.
Ports in Świnoujście and Tricity have their limitations. What are the alternatives?
In Central Pomerania there are 2 ports with large possible – in Ustka and Kołobrzeg. Although presently underutilized, they are strategically crucial due to the improvement of offshore wind energy. due to their parameters – including the depth of the approach – we want to adapt them besides for military purposes. Of course, infrastructure will request to be expanded to let for fast unloading of dense vehicles, specified as vehicles.
What actions were taken under the “Pact for safety of Poland – Central Pomerania”?
The squad began working on 30 October 2024. Since then, we have analysed over a 1000 road sections in 4 provinces: Pomeranian, Zachodniopomorskie, Kujawsko-Pomorskie and Warmian-Masurian. The scale of needs is huge: from the Pomeranian Voivodeship alone 434 proposals were received, from West Pomeranian state – over 430, from Warmian-Masurian state – 134, and from Kujawsko-Pomorskie state alone – 75. For further work, we have selected respective key investments from each region – they request to be funded.
Which roads are most crucial in terms of defence?
In a crisis situation, troops will decision in 1 direction and the civilian population in another. We must effort to prevent them from gathering on 1 way – it is simply a simple way to tragedy. erstwhile analysing the road network, we take this origin into account. For the fast deployment of allied forces by the mediate Pomerania, which we should start to treat as the Baltic Shield, the north-south routes will be crucial, while the evacuation of the population will take place mainly on the east-west axis.
The tricity and the Świnoujście have good connections. No mouth.
The Minister’s letter of 24 February so recommended that measures be secured for the urgent start of work on the Via Pomerania route. In the first stage, it is to connect Usta to Bydgoszcz. In the long term, we would like it to scope Konin – but present we focus on priorities and real time possibilities.
Will the current rules not hinder investment?
The Ministry of Defence has already filed its draft law, which greatly improves the process of developing the country's defence infrastructureWho passed through the government and will shortly scope the Sejm. Work is besides under way on a strategical investment, which is carried out by the Ministry of Infrastructure. Work is very advanced.
Environmental approvals are a block for many investments.
Of course, where possible, we want to avoid negative environmental impacts. But we are talking about national safety and people's lives – in this context, another considerations go to the background.
What about the railway infrastructure?
We have just selected sections that we point to as immediate implementation due to defence. We cooperate closely with the Ministry of Infrastructure and PKP PLK, PKP SA and PKP Cargo. Since the beginning of work on the Pact, which is from April last year, we have been in constant contact with the Ministry of Infrastructure. Together we make decisions, specified as recognising line 202 – connecting Gdańsk to Stargard – as a priority.
The squad shall prepare a full study indicating the investments essential for implementation. It will besides include proposals for amending the rules. The current guidelines on the basis of which GDDKiA operates are based on papers from 2019 – before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and before accession of countries from the Baltic Sea basin to NATO. These facts fundamentally change our investment priorities. We will so call for the introduction of a fresh category of defence roads.
Why do you want to introduce a fresh class of roads?
The current classification prevents the construction of defensive roads in places that are crucial from the defence point of view, but very hard due to the terrain. The introduction of a fresh category of defensive road will let us to break these barriers.
Up until now, roads have been built for economical reasons. In the case of Via Pomerania, the question arises: "Why invest in a region that is depopulating?"
I bet this road is the key to stopping the process of depopulation. Large investments are planned here – wind farms, atomic power plants, hydrogen installations. They will be a growth impulse for the economy and aid reverse negative demographic trends, but besides require adequate infrastructure.
What about the airports?
We will surely urge the immediate implementation of anti-drone systems. We are besides considering airport locations with customized parameters – dedicated for e.g. to flying unmanned systems.
Can any of these investments be financed from EU funds?
I'm in the work of the safety and Defence Fund Steering Committee. We are working rapidly to find in what framework and what projects we will be able to rise funds for. due to the request for military mobility and the Ministry of Infrastructure, we are fighting hard to guarantee that part of the infrastructure needed can be financed or refinanced from this Fund. With another ministries, we're besides working on this, how to adopt and what to allocate funds from the European Defence Programme. There is simply a full of EUR 150 billion for EU countries. We are applying for the biggest jackpot for Poland.
