Germany and Poland Sign New Defense Agreement Amid Shifting European Security Balance

Jun 17, 2026

Germany and Poland are signing a new defense agreement to bolster European security amid Russian aggression and uncertainty over U.S. commitment. The deal focuses on practical military cooperation in areas like the Baltic Sea and cyber defense, but stops short of a full political treaty due to historical tensions, including Poland's $1.3T reparations demand. The pact also comes as Poland asserts its growing influence, protesting its exclusion from key talks on Ukraine.

German-Polish defense agreement

▪The agreement includes plans for protecting the Baltic Sea region and cooperation on military mobility, infrastructure, cyber defense, and new technologies.
▪Germany and Poland were set to sign a new defense agreement on June 17, 2026.
▪The Polish-German agreement is inter-ministerial and focuses on practical military cooperation, unlike political treaties each has with France and the UK.

Shifting European security dynamics

▪Relations between Germany and Poland have become more pragmatic following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the 2023 election of a liberal government in Poland.
▪The agreement is motivated by heightened tension with Russia and uncertainty over U.S. military engagement in Europe.
▪Under NATO defense plans, Germany has a key role in defending the Baltic region, which requires cooperation with Poland.
▪Germany is revitalizing its military, the Bundeswehr, with the goal of building the strongest conventional army on NATO's European side.
▪Poland's importance has grown due to its role as a logistics hub for Ukraine, its growing economy, and heavy defense investment.

Historical tensions

▪The previous Polish government, led by the Law and Justice party, demanded $1.3 trillion in WWII reparations from Germany, a demand Berlin rejected.
▪Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has demanded that Germany accelerate compensation for surviving victims of the WWII occupation.
▪Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski stated that President Karol Nawrocki, supported by the Law and Justice party, would never agree to a full political defense treaty with Germany.

Poland's exclusion from core negotiations

▪Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk complained to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz that Poland should be part of discussions about Ukraine's future.
▪On June 7, 2026, Germany, France, and the U.K. met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in London to discuss potential peace negotiations with Russia.
▪Germany, France, and the U.K. have made major decisions on Ukraine without including Poland.