From integration to autonomy: Poland’s strategic dilemmas in the emerging European Defence Union

Od integracji do autonomii: strategiczne dylematy Polski w odniesieniu do inicjatywy Europejskiej Unii Obrony

Abstrakt: The article examines Poland’s strategic engagement with the emerging European Defence Union against the backdrop of significant geopolitical transformations in Europe, particularly following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the re-election of Donald Trump in 2024. The central aim of the study is to assess whether and how Poland reconciles its enduring commitment to NATO and transatlanticism with its growing involvement in EU-level defence initiatives. Methodologically, the article employs a qualitative analysis grounded in primary and secondary sources, including official EU and Polish strategic documents, expert commentaries, and historical parallels such as the failed European Defence Community, to trace the evolution of Poland’s defence posture within the EU framework. The findings demonstrate that Poland adopts a dual-track approach characterised by conditional support: it pragmatically engages with EU mechanisms, such as PESCO, the EDF, and the SAFE Regulation, when these align with its national interests, particularly in terms of defence industrial development, infrastructure, and resilience. Simultaneously, Poland remains institutionally and ideologically cautious, resisting initiatives perceived as duplicating NATO’s role, undermining US strategic guarantees, or favouring Western European defence industries. The article concludes that Poland’s approach to the EDU is neither passive nor obstructive, but constitutive, shaping the trajectory of European defence integration from a position grounded in strategic pragmatism and regional security imperatives.

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