On Wednesday, a new base was officially opened in Poland as part of the U.S. ballistic missile defense system, which also includes sites in Turkey, Romania, and Spain.

Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak described the event as historically significant for the security of Poland and NATO.

The base is a key component of NATO’s collective defense project, which has been under development for 15 years and aims to protect Europe from ballistic missile threats, particularly from Iran.

However, Russia has expressed concern over the base’s location, just 230 kilometers from its Kaliningrad region, arguing that the expansion of U.S. military infrastructure in Europe poses a threat to its security.