Germany and Poland were expected to sign a new defence agreement on Wednesday, setting aside their complicated historical relationship in order to deepen European military cooperation amid rising tensions with Russia and increasing uncertainty over the level of U.S. involvement in Europe.
In recent years, relations between the two neighbouring countries have become more practical, particularly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the rise of a liberal government in Poland in 2023.
Amid discussions in the United States about reducing part of its military presence in Europe, Poland is calling on leading European allies to take on a larger role in securing the continent’s eastern flank.
Germany is actively looking for defence partners as it continues efforts to rebuild and modernise the Bundeswehr after years of limited investment. It has set an ambition to develop the strongest conventional military among NATO’s European members, a move that would establish it as a central component of Europe’s defence framework in the years ahead.
Poland’s strategic role as a logistics hub for Ukraine, combined with its expanding economy and significant investment in defence, has made it an attractive partner for Germany and other leading European states.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in Berlin after a December meeting with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk that Germany requires a strong Poland as an equal partner, stressing that “We Germans need a strong Poland as an equal partner,” and adding, “This is in our fundamental interest.”
The defence agreement is expected to outline measures for securing the Baltic Sea region, as well as enhanced cooperation in areas such as military mobility, infrastructure development, cyber defence, and emerging technologies.
The statement from a think tank official in Warsaw said that the two countries are effectively bound together by NATO defence planning, which assigns Germany a significant responsibility in securing the Baltic region alongside Poland and other Central and Eastern European allies.
“Germany is largely responsible for the defence of the Baltic states, and without cooperation with Poland, that will not happen,” Gotkowska said.
The Baltic states are frequently viewed as the most vulnerable NATO members in the event of a potential future Russian attack on Alliance territory.
