Poland showcases military might in parade as war rages in Ukraine

installations such as ports, oil terminals and major roadways.”

Haiti’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry sent an urgent appeal last October for “the immediate deployment of a specialized armed force, in sufficient quantity” to stop the gangs. However, no country stepped up to lead such a force until Kenya’s offer in late July.

US Ambassador Linda ThomasGreenfield said on Aug. 1 that the United States would introduce a UN Security Council resolution authorizing Kenya to lead a multinational police force to fight the gangs and provide 1,000 officers. However, she gave no timetable.

Since its offer, Kenya’s police force has come under scrutiny especially by human rights watchdogs, for alleged killings and torture, including gunning down civilians during the country’s Covid-19 curfew.

As the US was considering Kenya to lead the force, it was also openly warning Kenyan police officers against violent abuses.

Guterres said the Haitian National Police “most concerningly” face persistent reports of gang infiltration.

The force lost 774 officers during the first half of the year—“a staggering loss compared to an average attrition of around 400 police per year in the past,” he said. And the state of police infrastructure is “dire,” with around 40 of its 412 premises nationwide unusable “due to gang territorial control.”

Guterres made clear in the letter that “Haiti’s current context is not conducive to peacekeeping” by the United Nations.

He said law and order must be restored and human rights abuses and violence reduced “by deterring, neutralizing, and disarming heavily armed gangs capable of mounting robust resistance to anti-gang police operations.”

Guterres stressed that securing strategic installations and major roadways to restore freedom of movement and re-establishing the government’s presence to restore services requires “the robust use of force” by a specialized multinational police force.

In parallel to deploying such a force, he said there are two potential options for the UN—to provide logistical support to the multinational force and the national police, and to strengthen the UN political mission in Haiti to expand its mandate to train and advise the national police and create “an enabling environment” for long-delayed elections and the restoration of democratic institutions.

Given the dire situation in Haiti and the need for security, Guterres said both options may be required to maximize the impact of a multinational police force.

By Monika Scislowska The Associated Press

WARSAW, Poland—Nato member Poland displayed its state-of-theart weapons and defense systems at a massive military parade Tuesday, as war rages in neighboring Ukraine and ahead of parliamentary elections in two months.

President Andrzej Duda, the chief commander of the armed forces, said in his opening speech that the protection of Poland’s eastern border is a key element of state policy. He also noted that Poland is supporting Ukraine in its struggle against Russia’s aggression of almost 18 months.

“The defense of our eastern border, the border of the European Union and of Nato is today a key element of Poland’s state interest,” Duda said.

Crowds waving national whiteand-red flags gathered in scorching temperatures that reached 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) to see US-made Abrams tanks, HIMARS mobile artillery systems and Patriot missile systems. Also on display were F-16 fighter planes, South Korean FA50 fighters and K9 howitzers. A US Air Force F-35 roared overhead, in a sign that Poland was also purchasing these advanced fighter planes.

Polish-made equipment including Krab tracked gun-howitzers and Rosomak armored transporters were also featured. Some 2,000 troops, 200 vehicles and almost 100 aircraft took part. Poland’s armed forces have more than 175,000 troops, up from some 100,000 eight years ago, Duda said.

Since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Poland’s conservative government has focused on strengthening the armed forces and has spent more than $16 billion on tanks, missile

AP/CZAREK interceptor systems and fighter jets, many purchased from the US and South Korea.

Duda said Poland’s defense budget this year will be a record 137 billion zlotys ($34 billion) or some 4% of the gross domestic product, the highest proportion in all of Nato.

“The goal of this huge modernization is to equip Poland’s armed forces and create such a defense system that no one ever dares attack us, that Polish soldiers will never need to fight,” Duda said.

Responding to criticism that

Poland, a nation of some 37 million, was taking out huge loans to make the purchases, Duda said:

“We cannot afford to be idle this is why we are strengthening our armed forces here and now.”

Poland borders on the east with the Russian city of Kaliningrad; with Lithuania, a fellow Nato member; with Russia’s key ally Belarus and with Ukraine.

The parade was held in Poland’s capital, which was vastly destroyed during World War II, on the anniversary of the 1920 Battle of Warsaw, in which Polish troops defeated Bolshevik forces advancing on Europe.

The military upgrades have bolstered Poland’s defense capabilities and some items replaced Soviet- and Russian-made equipment that Poland gave to Ukraine.

Poland is building one of Europe’s strongest armies to beef up deterrence against potential aggressors and has increased the number of troops to some 10,000 along its border with Belarus, where it has also built a wall to stop migrants arriving from that direction.

Showing off its military might is also a way for Poland’s government to attract voter support ahead of October 15 elections, in which the populist ruling Law and Justice party will seek to win an unprecedented third term.