Poland’s Security Policy
Poland’s Security Policy

Summary/Abstract: In 2017, Russia’s policy towards NATO and other neighbouring countries, including persistent involvement in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, remained the main threat to Poland’s security. On the other hand, the strengthening of the Alliance’s deterrence and defence potential has had a positive impact on Poland’s security, in particular by increasing the military presence of its members in accordance with the decisions of the NATO summit in Warsaw in July 2016. However, there was an ongoing debate regarding the scale and directions of further adaptation to the Russian threat, and uncertainty about the future of this process increased after Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election. The European pillar of Polish security was to be strengthened as a result of deep reform of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), including the activation of the mechanism of Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) and the European Defence Fund (EDF). At the same time, these efforts restored concerns about the possibility of the EU duplicating and undermining NATO’s efforts, including the adaptation process. The destabilisation of the Middle East, which distracted the U.S. and many European allies from the Eastern Flank, also remained a challenge for Poland.

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