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 campaign that won the Nobel Prize. By 2016, Poland had destroyed its entire stockpile, but on February 20, 2026, it withdrew and announced plans to restart mine production and mine its 400-mile eastern border within 48 hours. These minefields will integrate into a $2.5 billion fortification network stretching from the Baltic Sea to the Carpathian foothills.

Updated May 29

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. The agreement, backed by EU SAFE programme funding and Polish government credits, shifts from emergency wartime aid to institutionalized defense industry integration on both sides of the border.

Updated May 27

Rule Changes

Issued public apology to LGBTQ couples; pledging implementation of EU court marriage rulings

Poland's cohabitation contracts bill passed its first parliamentary reading on February 13, 2026, but the real movement came from the courts. On March 20, the Supreme Administrative Court ruled that civil registry offices must transcribe foreign same-sex marriages. On May 14, Warsaw registered a 2018 German marriage certificate for two Polish men—the first same-sex union ever entered into Polish civil records.

Updated May 23

Rule Changes

Handed presidency to Cyprus after Poland's successful term

Cyprus, a divided island of a million people, took control of the EU Council on January 1, 2026. The presidency begins as Europe faces Russia's war in Ukraine entering year four, crumbling transatlantic unity, and a €2 trillion budget battle. It kicked off on January 7 with a ceremony in Nicosia featuring President Zelenskyy, and it promises a 'new approach' to Ukraine's EU accession while juggling 330 legislative files.

Updated May 19

Force in Play

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

In early December 2025, the Trump administration published a National Security Strategy abandoning Russia as a primary threat, emphasizing 'flexible realism,' reviving the Monroe Doctrine in the Western Hemisphere, and seeking a negotiated Ukraine peace while re-establishing stability with Moscow. Within days, the Kremlin praised the strategy, saying it 'corresponds in many ways' with Russia's worldview and welcoming the shift from treating Russia as a direct adversary.

Updated May 10