The United Kingdom and Poland have announced a new defence treaty to be signed in London, expanding military and security cooperation between the two NATO allies amid ongoing threats from Russia.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed the signing would take place on Wednesday, describing the occasion as a “historic moment” for bilateral relations between the two countries.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the agreement “the biggest step forward in our defence and security relationship with Poland in a generation”, underlining its significance for both nations.
The pact covers joint military exercises and intelligence-sharing arrangements, and extends cooperation into the areas of cyber security and health security, according to the Polish government.
Starmer said the treaty would allow both countries to “confront modern security threats that may be less visible but no less dangerous”, broadening the scope of traditional defence arrangements.
“Our collective work together will keep our countries safe for years to come,” Starmer added, framing the agreement as a long-term strategic commitment rather than a short-term measure.
Poland sits at a particularly sensitive geographic position, sharing its eastern border with Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, making its security partnerships with European nations especially consequential.
Tusk acknowledged that instability has become a lasting reality for Poland given its location, saying the situation would persist “certainly not for a month, but for years, given the neighbourhood.”
He described Poland’s growing network of defence pacts with European countries, alongside its alliance with the United States, as part of a strategy designed to guarantee what he called “total security” for the country.
Poland currently spends more than 4.8% of its gross domestic product on defence this year, making it the highest-spending member of NATO as a share of economic output across the alliance’s eastern flank.
Earlier this month, Warsaw signed a loan agreement with the European Commission to finance the modernisation of its army and arms industry, under which it will receive nearly 44 billion euros.
Poland and France signed a separate treaty of friendship and enhanced cooperation last year, which included defence and mutual assistance clauses that France, as a nuclear power, reserves for only its closest allies.
The London signing adds the United Kingdom to Poland’s expanding web of bilateral defence commitments, reflecting a broader European effort to reinforce security arrangements in response to the war in Ukraine.
No further details about the specific terms of military cooperation under the UK-Poland pact have been made public beyond those confirmed by the Polish government ahead of Wednesday’s ceremony.