Poland enlists in Washington’s war on Huawei with joint 5G ‘security’ declaration

Warsaw has inked a joint declaration with Washington, which states that only trusted partners will be allowed to supply 5G technology. Likely aimed at China’s Huawei, the agreement comes as Poland continues to cozy-up to the US.

“All countries must ensure only trusted and reliable suppliers participate in networks,” the declaration, signed by US Vice President Mike Pence and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, sets out. The document stressed that potential 5G suppliers should have a transparent ownership structure.

Although their declaration doesn’t explicitly mention Huawei by name, the Chinese firm has long been in Washington’s crosshairs. The Trump administration has been pressuring its European allies for months to drop all business with Huawei, which has pioneered 5G technology, claiming that the tech giant is in cahoots with Beijing and poses a security risk to countries. These efforts have been largely rebuffed, however, with close partners like Germany saying there is no evidence that Huawei is involved in nefarious activities.

Unlike its European neighbors, Poland is apparently more open to adopting Trump’s position on the matter. In fact, Warsaw has become increasingly accommodating to Washington’s whims.

In August, Poland announced that it would be ready to purchase large volumes of US liquefied natural gas (LNG) –dubbed ‘freedom gas’ by the US Energy Department– starting in 2022 or 2023.

US energy companies aren’t the only ones that have benefited from Warsaw’s hospitality: Last year, the Eastern European country reportedly offered to pay $2 billion for a permanent US base on its soil. News that the Trump administration was seriously considering the offer reportedly filled the Polish government with “joy and hope.”

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