Complete the negotiations on the EDIP programme, which will strengthen arms production, convince allies to spend more on defence and backing "The Tartar East" – they are only part of the challenges facing Poland at the threshold of the six-month Presidency of the Council of the European Union. It's her beginning night.
Security is simply a word that in context Polish Presidency It is changed by all cases. It is to be the foundation of all activities announced by the authorities in Warsaw. And these will mostly affect defence.
One of the Polish priorities remains the support of Ukraine – both political, financial and military. The task is not easy for at least a fewer reasons. The situation on the front is getting more complicated, Ukrainian needs are not decreasing, and in addition, shortly the power in the US will be taken over by Donald Trump, who has repeatedly announced that he will halt aiding Kiev and will shortly lead to an end to the fighting. Whether that actually happens, we don't know yet. However, it can be assumed that, in case the war should continue, the American president will guarantee that a large part of the burden of aid to Ukraine falls on the shoulders of Europe. Meanwhile, in Joe Biden's tenure, the full value United States support for Ukraine was as much as $174 billion.
However, Poland argues that Ukraine should be helped due to the fact that the stableness of the full continent depends on it. And nothing's changed since the war started. During the half-year Presidency, Warsaw will besides effort to guarantee that aggressors are subject to fresh sanctions. “We will search the support of associate States to make full usage of frozen assets of the Central Bank of Russia to support Ukraine. We will prevent the return of "business as usual" with Russia and Belarus until the aggression ceases," announced the head of the MFA Radosław Sikorski.
At the same time, Poland wants to convince another associate States to increase their investment in defence. Europe has done rather a lot on this issue recently. According to a study published by the European Defence Agency (EDA) in late December, associate States' combined military spending increased by more than 30% over the year, reaching EUR 326 billion. Poland is the absolute leader here. Over 4% of GDP is spent on defence. The problem is that if we sum up the expenditure of the European Union as a whole, this rate will turn out to fall to 1.9%. That, according to a full scope of European politicians, is far besides little. “EU associate States should spend 3% of GDP on defence,” stressed Rafał Trzaskowski, who went to Brussels in December to attend the gathering of the EU Committee of the Regions. This is crucial not only in the context of the threat from the East, but besides in the immediate changes in the White House. Polish politicians announce that during the Presidency they will do everything to strengthen transatlantic relations and strengthen ties with the fresh Republican administration. And it can be assumed that 1 of the first things Donald Trump will request from European partners will be to increase the financial contribution to common security.
Strengthening the European defence manufacture is besides a key issue. The EU has late implemented respective programmes to give it fresh impetus. EDIRPA assumes joint arms purchases and ASAP provides assistance to ammunition companies. The next step is the EDIP programme. It concerns the financing of projects that include cooperation between arms companies and purchases by associate States. For now, however, the budget for this intent is modest. It amounts to EUR 1.5 billion and covers the period 2025–2027. "One and a half billion euro for the arms manufacture is nothing, it is simply a shame for the European Union," commented Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamish in November. "The fresh European Commission must allocate resources for this purpose," he added. Negotiations on this are ongoing. Now Poles will take over.
During the six-month presidency Poland will besides effort to convince partners to allocate money to strengthen the east flank of NATO. Because, as the authorities in Warsaw explain, the safety of Central Europe is key to the stableness of the full continent. This includes financial support Eastern Shields, i.e. the strengthening strategy which Poland is building at the borders with Belarus and Russia. It will include a network of bunkers, fortifications, field obstacles and electronic security. The strategy is intended to prevent possible opponents from aggression, and if it did happen – slow down or even halt the march of abroad troops. Reinforcements should besides curb illegal migration. For respective years now, a crisis has been ongoing on the Polish-Belarusian border due to the actions of the Minsk authorities.. The services there bring people from Africa and Asia and then push them to the Polish side. Experts have no uncertainty – it is part of the hybrid war.
The construction of the Shields of the East is expected to last until 2028. Poland intends to allocate PLN 10 billion for this purpose. Ultimately, the strategy should be linked to the Baltic Defence Line, which is being built by Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Warsaw wants the EU to participate in this investment. – The shield of the East becomes a de facto European project. This is how both the EU and NATO are addressing this today," said Cezary Tomczyk, Deputy Prime Minister of the MON in July, and added that discussions with the European Investment Bank had already been held on this issue. On the another hand, a fewer days ago, Adam Sz Trapka, EU Minister of Affairs, admitted in an interview with PAP that he thought the construction of the shield would be financed by the Community. However, declarations will should be translated into concrete ones.
But it's not over. During the Polish Presidency, the subject of building a European rocket shield will most likely be discussed. With specified an initiative, Germany has come and so far it has been supported by 18 countries, including Poland. The Polish idea, however, was the joint Baltic patrols and monitoring of the dangers of critical infrastructure. In November, Prime Minister Donald Tusk spoke about this. Now the thought came out with a fresh force. In fresh weeks in the Baltic, ships in 1 way or another related to Russia damaged respective underwater cables. During the TV4 interview, the Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson referred to the Tusk project. “Common patrols are absolutely necessary,” he said.
It is besides possible that 1 of the subjects of the Presidency will be provisions facilitating the movement of troops between the EU countries. It is now hampered by different rules that apply in different countries. However, the subject of the "Schengen military" comes back from time to time. At the end of January last year, defence ministers of Poland, Germany and the Netherlands signed a letter of intention to simplify procedures. As Mr Kosiniak-Kamish, then stressed, the solution could be an impetus for the another EU countries.
So before Polish politicians worked hard for six months. But there is besides a chance that the voice from the east flank will sound stronger in Europe. A region where the hazard of war is greater than any another part of the continent. And where there is simply a key (or at least 1 of the keys) to the safety of the full community.
