Polish Northern Policy
Strategic importance of the Baltic Sea region in face of upcoming security challenges
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Submission date: 2025-04-28
Acceptance date: 2025-06-27
Publication date: 2025-07-08
Bezpieczeństwo Narodowe 2025;46(1):11-34
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Summary: Poland needs to strengthen cooperation and partnership in the Baltic Sea region. The changing strategic conditions related to the ongoing aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and the US-announced reduction of military involvement in Europe must lead Poland and our entire region, located on the border of the stability zone, to taking responsibility for their own security. Due to its location and potential, Poland has a special role to play as the keystone of security on the northeastern flank of the North Atlantic Alliance. Following the enlargement of the Alliance to include Finland and Sweden, this area has become one of the main theaters of hybrid conflict and potential military conflict with Russia, both from the perspective of Warsaw, Baltic states, as well as NATO as a whole. However, this has also given Poland reliable and determined regional partners with significant military and economic potential. A secure Baltic Sea is not only a guarantee of peace and stability for the rest of the continent, but also a key area for the energy and economic security of Poland and other countries of the Alliance's eastern flank.
Therefore, Poland must strengthen cooperation and coordination for the security of the Baltic Sea basin countries and has the right regional partners to do so. This is a task for years to come, which requires the Polish state to undertake multidimensional and multi-domain strategic actions that can be described as Polish northern policy. Purpose and research methods: Poland needs to formulate its new policy dimenssion - polish northern policy as response to global changes and security challanges in eastern flank of NATO. Above mentioned conclussion was reached by analizing current global chaqnges in geopolitical and political landscape. Conclusions / recommendations: Global security dynamics implies Poland to be more active in its northern policy dimension. Most significant future security threats may appaer in the Baltics region which is percieved by Russia as possible area of confrontation with so colled collective West. Additionaly for Poland Baltic Sea became and indispensable corridor for energy suppluies and economic cooperation. That's why Warsaw needs to bust its presence and readiness to detter Russia in the Baltic Sea region also by building startegic alliances with like-minded countries in the region.