By Eric Vandenbroeck and co-workers

Poland’s paranoia about Russia prompted it to eschew the prevailing Zeitgeist across much of Europe that conventional warfare was a thing of the past. Instead, it is building what are now on track to become the EU’s heftiest land forces.

One has to understand that Poland was partitioned several times. The first partition of Poland by Eastern European monarchs below is shown dividing the spoils. This was signaled not only by the remaking of Eastern Europe but also resulted in the wars of Louis XIV, the first world wars of the modern era, imperial and oceanic in their scope.

Joachim von Ribbentrop the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nazi Germany sent a personal letter to Stalin on February 3, pleading the German case. It called the partition of Poland a “not inconsiderable advance payment by Germany. Which resulted in the German-Soviet Commercial Agreement of February 11, 1940.

 

And finally the lead-up to the First Madrid Summit.

“The Polish army must be so powerful that it does not have to fight due to its strength alone,” Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on the eve of Poland’s independence day.

It’s a shift that has resonated with Poland’s indispensable ally. “Poland has become our most important partner in continental Europe,” a senior U.S. Army official in Europe said, citing the crucial role Poland has played in supporting Ukraine and in shoring up NATO defenses in the Baltics.

While Germany, traditionally America’s key ally in the region, remains a linchpin as a logistical hub, Berlin’s endless debates over how to resurrect its military and lack of a strategic culture have hampered its effectiveness as a partner, the official said.

According to Duszczyk, construction is set to begin in the coming months, with completion expected in 2025. He emphasized the importance of ensuring swift troop movements as part of Poland’s broader defense strategy but did not provide further specifics about the project.

In November, Poland initiated the construction of defensive fortifications along its border with Kaliningrad. The first segment, completed near the village of Dąbrówka, includes over 3,500 concrete obstacles. The Polish government also plans to implement an advanced surveillance system to enhance border security.

Earlier, Poland initiated the construction of a fortified border wall along its 400-kilometer frontier with Belarus in response to what Warsaw described as a hybrid warfare tactic orchestrated by Russia and Belarus.

The project, which began in late 2021, followed an influx of migrants directed to the border under Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s regime. Many of these individuals traveled via direct flights from the Middle East and Africa to Moscow or Minsk before being transported to the Polish border.

By 2022, a five-meter steel fence was erected, and additional measures, including thermal cameras, night vision systems, and patrol roads, were introduced to enhance border security.

 

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