The Political and Military Aspects of Poland’s Security Policy
The Political and Military Aspects of Poland’s Security Policy

Summary/Abstract: At the end of 2006, Poland’s geo-strategic situation was relatively good, at least in the political and military dimension. The risk of an armed conflict in Europe, or of manifestation of a non-traditional threat such as terrorism, was in fact negligible. Poland’s relations with its neighbors were good, and with most of them friendly. Only in relations with Russia and Belarus were there significant problems, but mainly in non-military spheres. A slight risk of regional destabilization existed in connection with still unresolved conflicts or disputes in the Euro-Atlantic area (in Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Transdniestria, and the Caucasus). The most important factor in Poland’s immediate vicinity that unfavorably affected its perception of state security, thus influencing policy in this sphere, was Russia’s confrontational attitude toward its neighbors. This attitude was most acutely felt in the spheres of energy (crises related to natural gas deliveries to Ukraine, Belarus, and Georgia, in 2006) and trade (including the embargo on certain imports from Poland, Georgia, or Moldova), and led to growing concerns about Poland’s security, particularly in context of energy.

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