Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced on Monday the construction of hundreds of public shooting ranges throughout the country and a new law on access to firearms to “train society” in national defense.

In a statement to the press in the city of Myszków, where he has inaugurated a shooting range, Morawiecki assured that “if Russia ever thought of attacking Poland, let it know that 40 million Poles are ready to defend it with weapons in hand “. The Polish Government will launch a “national program for the promotion of shooting” with the construction of at least 314 facilities, one in each district of the country, where citizens are offered shooting classes with small arms and rifles and the opportunity to practice regularly.

In addition, the Polish chief executive has said that his government is preparing a law on access and use of firearms for civilians because “civil society also has to be trained for defense.” Morawiecki stressed that, in addition to the modernization and expansion of the Polish Army, “thanks to modern shooting ranges like the one in Myszków, more people will be trained to use firearms.”

“It is necessary to reiterate the message that access to weapons is to make us stronger as a country,” said Morawiecki, “and, as the Latin saying goes, if you want peace, prepare for war,” he concluded. Pawel Kukiz, leader of the Kukiz15 party, which maintains a parliamentary alliance with the government, has recently announced his intention to promote legislation to simplify the requirements for citizens to own firearms.

Speaking to Polish radio, Kukiz recently declared that “if we were in the place of Ukraine, any citizen with a Kalashnikov (rifle) should know how to use it.” On the other hand, Warsaw wants to promote the modernization and expansion of its armed forces with an ambitious weapons acquisition program and with a voluntary military service that aims to recruit more than 150,000 young people into military and paramilitary forces.

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