Situation beyond the eastern border

The Council of Ministers adopted a draft Homeland Defence Act. It is a response to the increasingly difficult geopolitical situation in the region. The proposed changes are aimed at strengthening the Polish army – increase in the number of soldiers to around 300,000, increase in the budget for defence, as well as technical modernisation of the army. Moreover, the Act organises regulations concerning the Polish Armed Forces. One document will contain regulations that were previously scattered across a dozen different acts.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland firmly condemns the decision of president Vladimir Putin on the recognition by the Russian Federation of two self-proclaimed republics situated on the territory of Ukraine – the so-called “Donetsk People’s Republic” and “Luhansk People’s Republic”. It amounts de facto to Russian side’s rejection of the Minsk agreements, to which Russian Federation is part.

On 10 February 2022, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki met in Warsaw with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Boris Johnson's visit is a proof of allied solidarity in bilateral relations and in NATO, in the face of threats to European security. Prime Ministers discussed security in the region, particularly with regard to Russia's actions against Ukraine. After the meeting at the Prime Minister's Office, both prime ministers visited British and Polish soldiers at the military base in Wesoła.

Deputy Minister Marcin Przydacz joined a phone conversation organised by US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman with the participation of NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană, Secretary General of the European External Action Service Stefano Sannino and OSCE Secretary General Helga Schmid.

“An additional 350 soldiers will be deployed to Poland. They will strengthen the already present 100 soldiers from the engineering troops who, together with Polish soldiers, protect the Polish-Belarusian border. Poland and the United Kingdom are ready through the policy of deterrence discourage the aggressor from further actions” - said Mariusz Błaszczak, Minister of National Defence during his visit to London.

On the second day of his visit to Washington, D.C., Minister Zbigniew Rau met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. In their discussion, the Minister and the Secretary focused on current issues related to Euro-Atlantic security, including the crisis caused by the aggressive policies and actions of the Russian Federation and Belarus.

On 1 February, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki visited Kyiv. The head of the Polish government met with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and President Volodymyr Zelensky. The visit took place at the invitation of the head of the Ukrainian government, with the difficult situation caused by the Russian threat being the primary topic of the talks held. Poland has already shown solidarity with Ukraine by delivering humanitarian aid and stands ready to provide its neighbour with missiles, munitions and defensive weaponry as well. Other issues discussed at the meeting included expanding economic cooperation, including in such areas as gas supply.

– 'A very substantive discussion was held. Most national delegations believe that the European Union's external border is a common issue, and so are the installations and financial outlays borne by bordering countries,' said Minister Mariusz Kamiński on Friday (21 January) in Vilnius. The Head of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration took part in the European Conference on Border Management, jointly organised by Poland, Lithuania, Austria and Greece.

Current issues on the European Union agenda, bilateral and regional cooperation, and challenges in the area of Eastern policy and regional security were the main topics discussed by Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Prime Minister of Latvia Arturs Krišjānis Kariņš. During the meeting, the heads of the governments discussed the EU energy and climate policy, reforms of fiscal rules, and the issue of strengthening the resilience of the Community. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki emphasised that the Republic of Latvia is one of the closest partners in the EU and NATO. We have similar opinions in many key areas.

On Wednesday the head of the Polish government met with the EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi. The meeting in Warsaw provided an opportunity to discuss current issues concerning the Eastern neighbourhood of the European Union. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki communicated Poland’s position on the situation in Belarus and Ukraine. The discussion also focused on the integration of Western Balkan countries with the European Union, as well as prospects and challenges related to the EU neighbourhood and enlargement policy within the next six months.