Summary: A compass needle always points to the North. However, the strategic compass of Poland's foreign and security policy for a quarter of a century after 1989 has operated differently, stubbornly pointing to the West – whether in the form of the Euro-Atlantic integration, the American military power, or the German economic engine. Nevertheless, since Russia's annexation of Crimea and aggression against Ukraine, the significance of the northern direction for Poland, and of Poland for the Nordic and Baltic states, has been steadily growing. One would be hard-pressed to find any of their current strategic documents that would not include Poland among the key allies, often together with Germany, France, or Great Britain. Poland shares common interests with the Nordic and Baltic states in NATO and the EU, in the field of allied deterrence and defence, in the pursuit of maintaining a strong transatlantic bond and anchoring the US in Europe, in providing military aid for Kyiv, in tightening sanctions against Russia and its "shadow fleet", and in building regional resilience to aggression in the non-military dimension, including energy security, the protection of underwater critical infrastructure, and civil defence. These are the main areas that constitute the emergence of a northern pillar of Poland's foreign and security policy. At the same time, Polish activity in the North faces a number of challenges. The Nordic countries attach greater strategic importance to the North Atlantic and Arctic regions, and their defence cooperation is often characterised by a significant degree of inward regionalisation. Furthermore, the importance of the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8) cooperation is growing, and Poland is only invited to its meetings on an ad hoc basis. Purpose and research methods: Analysis of Poland's security policy interests in the Nordic and Baltic direction including points of convergence and divergence. Conclusions / recommendations: 1. Strengthening defence cooperation with the Nordic countries, in particular Sweden and Finland. 2. Seeking an optimal consultation and coordination format with the Nordic and Baltic states on key issues in NATO and the EU. 3. To jointly seek European funding for the Shield East and Baltic Defence Line programmes. 4. To initiate cooperation with Sweden and Finland in safeguarding the Baltic nuclear power plants and the management of radioactive waste and nuclear fuel supply. 5. Seek closer cooperation with the Nordic and Baltic states in the area of defence industry and modernisation of the armed forces.