Donald Tusk

Force in Play

Leading Poland's defense buildup on NATO's eastern flank

In 1997, 122 countries signed a treaty banning anti-personnel landmines, buoyed by a global campaign that won the Nobel Peace Prize. By 2016, Poland had destroyed its entire stockpile. On February 20, 2026, Poland officially withdrew from that treaty and announced it would restart mine production, develop the capability to mine its 400-mile eastern border within 48 hours, and integrate minefields into a $2.5 billion fortification network stretching from the Baltic Sea to the Carpathian foothills.

Updated Feb 20

New Capabilities

Leading Poland's Ukraine support and defense industrial expansion

Poland has delivered over 300 tanks, 14 fighter jets, and more than €4.5 billion in military equipment to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. On February 5-6, 2026, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a letter of intent in Kyiv to establish joint production lines for weapons, ammunition, and drones on both sides of the border. The agreement, backed by EU SAFE programme funding and Polish government credits, represents a shift from emergency wartime aid to institutionalized defense industrial integration.

Updated Feb 6

Rule Changes

Handed presidency to Cyprus after Poland's successful term

Cyprus—a divided island of one million people—took control of the EU Council on January 1, 2026. The presidency comes at a moment when Europe faces Russia's war in Ukraine entering year four, crumbling transatlantic unity, and a €2 trillion budget battle. Cyprus kicked off its term with a high-profile opening ceremony in Nicosia on January 7 featuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, signaling Ukraine's centrality to the six-month agenda. The presidency promises a 'new approach' to Ukraine's EU accession while juggling 330 legislative files.

Updated Jan 30

Rule Changes

Leading coalition government since December 2023

Poland ranked as the worst EU country for LGBTQ rights for four consecutive years. On December 30, 2025, the government approved a bill allowing any two adults—including same-sex couples—to register cohabitation contracts with a notary, granting rights to joint taxation, inheritance, and medical information access.

Updated Jan 23

Force in Play

Leading European critic of the 2025 U.S. National Security Strategy

In early December 2025, the Trump administration published a new U.S. National Security Strategy (NSS) that formally abandons the long‑standing framing of Russia as a primary threat and instead emphasizes a doctrine of “flexible realism.” The document calls for reviving the Monroe Doctrine in the Western Hemisphere, ending the perception of NATO as a perpetually expanding alliance, and making it a core U.S. interest to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine while re‑establishing strategic stability with Moscow. Within days, the Kremlin offered rare public praise, saying the strategy “corresponds in many ways” with Russia’s own worldview and welcoming the shift away from treating Russia as a direct adversary.

Updated Dec 11, 2025