Changing the Importance of Poland in the Security Policy of the United States in the Context of the war in Ukraine

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to analyze and evaluate the changes in the importance of Poland in the security policy of the United States after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in 2022. The paper consists of two parts. The first one covers the importance of Poland in the US security policy after the Cold War, and the second the change of this importance after the outbreak of the full-scale war in Ukraine. The main research problem is the question of whether Poland’s importance in the US security policy has increased in connection with the Russian aggression on Ukraine? The thesis assumes that the war in Ukraine increased the importance of Poland in American security policy. This is due to three basic premises: Poland has become the main hub for American weapons supplied to Ukraine; Poland plays a key role in humanitarian support for Ukrainian refugees; and the dynamic development of the Polish army increases its importance in the defense of NATO’s eastern flank. Paradoxically, in the context of Polish-American relations, the outbreak of the war turned out to be beneficial for Poland, as earlier it was in danger of cooling down its relations with the USA in connection with the problems with adhering to the principles of the democratic state of law. Currently, this issue is overshadowed by the intensified US-Polish cooperation to help Ukraine and secure NATO’s eastern flank. The research involved interviews with scientists and analysts from scientific centers in Washington and New York.