As months-long US-brokered peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia have not yielded any results, Poland has been boosting its defences for what is perceives as a possible Russian invasion.
In early 2025, Poland announced it would spend five percent of its gross domestic product on the army, surpassing any NATO country, including the United States in defence spending. Warsaw nearly tripled its military spending in early 2022, with the onslaught of Russia’s full-fledged invasion of neighbouring Ukraine. Warsaw is now believed to have purchased over 8,000 missiles, 2,000 units of artillery, thousands of other equipment and weapons, since the start of Ukraine’s invasion by Russia.
However, Warsaw is set to further scale up its defence capabilities. According to local media reports, Poland will sign major strategic deals on security cooperation that may include Poland's purchase of French air tankers, submarines and weaponry in the news few months. These agreements may also include a deal on Poland being inside France's protective nuclear umbrella.
In yet another attempt to boost Warsaw’s defences and in an unprecedented move, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced earlier this year that every male citizen in the country must undergo a military training. Furthermore, he set late March as a deadline for these military drills to be held among male residents across the entire country. Poland also withdrew from the Ottawa Convention, a 1997 international treaty banning the use of land mines.
Poland has sought to fortify its border with Russia and Kremlin’s ally Belarus since last year, aiming to curb what is perceives as Russia’s and Belarus’ "hybrid war" through illegal migration. The construction of the Eastern Shield fortification system on the borders with Russia and Belarus started in October last year. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the government would invest $2.55 billion for border reinforcement that involves the construction of a network of fortifications and barriers on Poland’s borders with Russia and Belarus.
