Polish President Andrzej Duda has renewed his call for the United States to station nuclear weapons in Poland as a bulwark against Russia, signaling growing unease in the NATO frontline state.

In a Financial Times interview published Thursday, Duda reiterated a request he first made to the Biden administration in 2022, underscoring Poland’s strategic vulnerability along NATO’s eastern flank, bordered by Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia’s Kaliningrad enclave.

Duda’s international affairs adviser, Wojciech Kolarski, reinforced the appeal on RMF FM radio, arguing that nuclear deterrence would bolster Poland’s security amid escalating tensions with Moscow. The proposal reflects a broader shift in Polish thinking as Russia’s aggression in Ukraine fuels fears of further encroachment.

Poland, a steadfast NATO member, sees nuclear armament as a critical shield against potential threats.

The appeal comes as Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Duda’s political rival, revealed last week that Poland is engaging France on President Emmanuel Macron’s offer to extend France’s nuclear umbrella over Europe.

Macron, labeling Russia a “threat to France and Europe,” has opened a “strategic debate” on this deterrence strategy, citing concerns over possible U.S. withdrawal under a future administration. Moscow denounced the idea as “extremely confrontational.”

France, the EU’s sole nuclear power, contrasts with the U.S., which already deploys nuclear weapons in five NATO countries under sharing agreements. Duda’s push highlights Poland’s dual-track approach—courting both American and French nuclear protection—to counter Russia’s looming shadow, amplifying the security stakes in Europe.