Poland and The United Kingdom: An Increasingly Robust Partnership

The UK and Poland have what is currently being described as one of the closest partnerships within NATO (GOV.UK, 2022; Martin, 2023). This research paper will examine how this relationship has developed, with a special interest in the signing of the 2017 Treaty on Defence and Security Cooperation. The 2017 Treaty encouraged cooperation between the UK and Poland in a range of areas, including multiple agreements on exchanging military equipment and training of troops. These agreements became even more relevant, and arguably essential in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

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Negotiations between Poland and Ukraine culminated in an agreement to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine

This Info Flash is aimed at outlining the current motions in the extremely sensible relationship between the European Union (EU) and Ukraine. The current developments are very much centred on Germany and Poland’s cooperation that is becoming more and more expressive with some of the particular military aid that these countries plan to send to Ukraine. Poland and Germany have determined that Ukraine deserves more profound military help and support from the EU and its members states (Radford, 2023). However, this hot topic about the Leopard tanks is debatable and controversial because of its urgency, and equally because of its importance in terms of its effects on EU-Russia relations.

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Polish Defence and modernization push: HIMARS

On May 26, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak announced that he had begun the process of acquiring 500 U.S.-made long-range weapon systems, known as High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), to crown the military modernization program. Lieutenant Colonel Krzysztof Płatek, spokesman for the Armaments Agency, added that the technology transfer will be for an internal Polish effort known as HOMAR.

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Poland Gears Up with new M1 Abrams Tanks

Amidst the war between Ukraine and Russia, Poland obtained 116 Abrams Tanks after sealing the deal with the United States, which constitutes the supplier.

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Implications of the Polish Land Forces Modernisation

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Belarus’ alignment with Russia, Poland went on a shopping spree and returned with 1.000 K2 tanks and 672 K9 self-propelled howitzers from South Korea (Dmitruk, 2022). Earlier, Poland ordered 336 M1 Abrams tanks and requested 500 HIMARS and eight Patriot batteries in the United States (Tiles, 2022). Although most contracts have yet to be approved, the announcements signal Poland’s military ambitions of becoming the foremost land army in Europe. The numbers are reminiscent of Western Germany during the Cold War. As a frontline state, Western Germany fielded over 2.000 Leopard 2 tanks and several thousand Leopard 1 tanks. Besides the sheer numbers, the choice of suppliers is equally noteworthy. What does this paradigm shift tell us and how could it affect the European security landscape and the defence industry?

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