Amid Russian Aggression, France Offers Subs, Cruise Missiles To Poland

Amid tensions with Russia, Poland could soon buy new weapons -- namely submarines and missiles -- designed to help deter aggressors. France stepped in Monday and offered to supply the country with cruise missiles and submarines, reported Defense News.

Tomasz Siemoniak, Poland's deputy Prime minister and defense minister, had announced that the country's government planned to buy cruise missiles to go along with an intended purchase of three new submarines. France said it would supply Poland with its cruise missiles -- provided the Polish government opted to purchase French-designed Scorpene submarines.

Siemoniak previously announced in March that Poland was in talks with France and the United States to acquire cruise missiles as a part of the country's efforts to step up its defense capabilities. The country reportedly wanted to improve its ability to deter outside forces through modern weapons. At the time, some in Russia took the move as a measure against Moscow and said that if Poland acquired the missiles, Russia would likely take action of its own.

Under the plan, France reportedly authorized the sale of three submarines and 24 missiles, newspaper Gazeta Wyborca reported. The Polish Defense Ministry's plan is to have two of the modern submarines delivered by 2022 and a third by 2023.

Meanwhile, Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski approved a resolution in early May to form a joint Polish-Lithuanian-Ukrainian military unit that would participate in NATO, the United Nations and European Union. The announcement of the intended force, reportedly composed of 4,500 troops, came in September 2014 after growing Russian aggression in Eastern Europe.

Western leaders have accused Russia of providing support to pro-Russian separatists who have been locked in a conflict in Eastern Ukraine that has killed more than 6,000 people since it began in March 2014. Russia has denied involvement in the conflict.