Poland - The new European military superpower

Poland has been one of Ukraine’s primary supporters since the outbreak of the war eight years ago. Although they share a long and often turbulent history, Poland has nevertheless supported Ukraine in its efforts to join both the European Union and NATO, ever since Ukraine gained its independence from the Soviet Union. 

Additionally, Poland has viewed Russia as one of its oldest enemies and main aggressor in the region, as both the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union occupied Poland for many years, committing hundreds of war crimes on Polish soil and even ethnic cleansing and genocide against the Polish people. 

While relations between Poland and Russia have also been poor ever since the fall of the Soviet Union, they have deteriorated even more in the past year. This is not only due to the recent tensions between Russia and Ukraine, but also due to ongoing political conflict and a recent border crisis with Poland’s other eastern neighbor Belarus, which happens to be Russia’s main ally in Europe.