The international dimension of the Polish Deterrence and Defence Programme – the “East Shield”
The international dimension of the Polish Deterrence and Defence Programme – the “East Shield”

Summary/Abstract: This article investigates the international dimension of Poland’s Deterrence and Defence Programme – “East Shield” and assesses whether the project strengthens the emerging collective deterrence network on NATO and the EU’s eastern flank and in East-Central Europe. A qualitative comparative case-study design is employed, combining primary document analysis, strategic mapping, and process tracing. Findings show that although “East Shield” originated as a national scheme, its layered fortifications, ISR architecture, and forward logistics hubs are technically and doctrinally interoperable with the Baltic and Finnish border projects, together forming a developing continuous denial belt. The system hardens the Suwałki Gap logistics corridor, enhances deterrence credibility vis-à-vis Kaliningrad and Belarus, and recasts Poland from a passive front-line consumer into a regional deterrence integrator. Practical implications include the need for a unified ISR framework, command-and-control harmonisation under Multinational Corps North-East, and a joint EU-NATO funding line for border fortifications. The study concludes that East Shield constitutes a pivotal bridge between NATO’s deterrence-by-denial doctrine and the EU’s critical-infrastructure agenda, catalysing deeper territorial defence integration across Central and Eastern Europe.

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