Europe

Poland's defense minister accused of undermining military

Associated Press
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FILE - In this March 30, 2016 file photo Poland's Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz shows a document during a session of a special parliamentary commission. in Warsaw . Several former Polish defense ministers are calling for Macierewicz's dismissal, arguing that he is undermining the image of Poland's military within NATO and in Polish society itself. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) (The Associated Press)

FILE - In this March 30, 2016 file picture Poland's Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz launching a 100-days countdown until the NATO summit that will take place in Warsaw this summer. Several former Polish defense ministers are calling for the dismissal of Macierewicz, arguing that he is undermining the image of Poland's military within NATO and in Polish society itself. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) (The Associated Press)

Several former Polish defense ministers are calling for the dismissal of the current minister, arguing that he is undermining the image of Poland's military within NATO and Polish society itself.

The letter, made public Sunday, comes after Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz accused his predecessors of leaving the country defenseless with mismanagement and allowing Russian agents to influence military training.

The signatories say Macieriewicz's claims aren't true. They said he has discredited the army, undermined the country's image with its allies and encouraged "aggressive activities against our country" by enemies.

A spokesman for the president denounced the letter as part of a "political fight."

The letter was signed by former Defense Ministers Janusz Onyszkiewicz, Bronislaw Komorowski, Radoslaw Sikorski, Bogdan Klich and Tomasz Siemoniak, and former deputy defense minister Janusz Zemke.