Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that “only those who are strong” will avoid war as Poland hosted its largest ever military parade amid a military buildup by Warsaw designed to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank against the threat from Russia. Saturday’s display of the country’s military potential on land, sea and in the air comes on Poland’s Armed Forces Day, which marks the anniversary of a key Polish victory over the Soviet Union in the 1920 Battle of Warsaw. JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The parade in Warsaw kicked off at noon, with more than 60 military aircraft flying over the Polish capital, followed by a ceremony which saw President Karol Nawrocki confer promotions on 21 Polish military officers. The main portion of the parade started shortly afterwards – following speeches by Nawrocki and Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz – with close to 2,000 Polish troops beginning their march along Warsaw’s Vistula River alongside more than 300 military vehicles. With Russia’s war against Ukraine ongoing, effective deterrence is the key message behind this year’s parade as Poland accelerates its modernization program. The country, the biggest defense spender in NATO last year in relation to its GDP, has poured billions into new hardware including aircraft, ships and helicopters. A naval parade involving more than 20 vessels, including ships from allied countries, is also being held near the cities of Gdynia and Gdańsk on Poland’s northern Baltic Sea coast, with Prime Minister Tusk in attendance.