NATO was awarded the Knight of Freedom for its outstanding role in maintaining peace in the transatlantic area at the Warsaw Security Forum on Tuesday, an annual event that brings together politicians and military and defence experts from around the world, according to Euractiv.
The annual prize was awarded by the forum’s organiser Casimir Pulaski Foundation, recognising NATO’s outstanding role in maintaining peace in the transatlantic area, which allows nations to develop in the spirit of freedom, as well as its tremendous efforts to support war-torn Ukraine.
“NATO is the alliance of our dreams,” Jacek Siewiera, head of the Polish National Security Bureau (BBN), said in his speech honouring the winner.
His words were partially a reference to the dreams of the Polish people to join the Euro-Atlantic community after communism collapsed in the country. Poland joined NATO in 1999.
On behalf of Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and NATO Headquarters, the award – a replica of the sabre of the Polish American national hero Casimir Pułaski – was accepted by Rob Bauer, Chair of the NATO military committee.
Born in Warsaw and involved in revolutionary affairs in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Pulaski was exiled and travelled to North America to help in the American Revolutionary War. He distinguished himself throughout the Revolution, most notably by saving the life of George Washington.
Pulaski is remembered as a hero who fought for independence and freedom in Poland and the US. As stressed by Bauer, he is also called the “father of the American cavalry.”
Established in 1949, NATO now counts 31 states, with the newest one, Finland, joining the alliance earlier this year. Sweden, which applied for membership together with Finland, remains in the waiting room, with Hungary still blocking ratification of the accession protocols.
The reason Budapest has given for its reluctance to ratify Sweden’s accession to NATO is that Swedish politicians have criticised the state of the rule of law in Hungary, which the Hungarian government says does not respect the nation’s free choice when voting.