If every European NATO member took its defense as seriously as Poland, the threat of Russian aggression in Europe would be minimal. Poland currently has the potential to act as a key force in regional security and as a guarantor of security for other NATO allies – these are the conclusions of the report by The Heritage Foundation, published shortly before Polish President Karol Nawrocki’s visit to the United States.
A few days ago, shortly before President Karol Nawrocki’s visit to the United States and his meeting with US President Donald Trump, The Heritage Foundation presented a report titled Next Steps in US-Polish Strategic Cooperation by Jordan Embree and Wilson Beaver.
Poland as NATO’s pillar on the eastern flank
The report states that “within a decade Poland has become NATO’s pillar on the eastern flank.” The return of President Donald Trump to the White House opened the possibility of building strong relations that he developed with Warsaw during his first term – the authors note. They highlight the significance of visits by Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth to Poland.
It is emphasized that Hegseth, the Secretary of Defense, has repeatedly pointed to Poland’s important role in transatlantic security. “Not only are the prospects for Polish-American cooperation in the field of security promising, but also the election of conservative Karol Nawrocki as President of Poland in June 2025 heralds successful political cooperation with Washington, as evidenced by his official invitation to the White House for the September 3 visit,” write Beaver and Embree.
“Warsaw can adopt a broader perspective”
The authors of the report also see room for strengthening the alliance in terms of “national sovereignty in border protection” and “mutually beneficial economic opportunities in the fields of energy and trade.”
In their view, closer cooperation should reinforce Poland’s position as a key pillar of NATO’s eastern flank. They explicitly referred to Poland’s crucial role in countering the hybrid operations of Alexander Lukashenko’s regime, which began in 2021, including the construction of a border barrier. They also emphasized the importance of Poland’s access to the Visa Waiver Program (2019), which led to the “expansion of official cooperation on Polish border security measures,” evidenced by the visits of US Secretaries of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas in 2023 and Kristi Noem in 2025.
A separate chapter of the report addresses armaments, with the authors writing about “Poland’s leadership among European US allies in securing credible deterrence capabilities.” They point to, among others, the purchase of F-35s, Korean K-2 tanks, Poland’s withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention, as well as the presence of US forces and military infrastructure on Polish territory.
“Warsaw may begin to adopt a broader perspective, taking into account opportunities and threats in neighboring NATO countries. The primary task will remain deterrence and defense readiness against a Russian attack, whether from the air or in a land confrontation on the borders with Kaliningrad or Belarus. (…) Poland is building real military potential, drawing on experience and careful observation of conflicts in Ukraine and elsewhere, making significant purchases of tanks, self-propelled howitzers, attack helicopters, fifth-generation F-35 fighters, and air defense systems,” the report states.
The report also raises the issue of nuclear deterrence and the inclusion of Poland in the Nuclear Sharing program.
“Although achieving such a goal would require extensive preparation, we should consider it, and as an F-35A client, Polish pilots could be more quickly integrated into NATO’s training missions in nuclear technology. Taking this step would strengthen NATO’s nuclear deterrence mission by diversifying possible strike points and avoiding vulnerabilities resulting from longer flight paths from current bases,” it reads.
The Heritage Foundation stresses that the presence of a China-dependent entity in the port of Gdynia remains a problem for “infrastructure security for military operations in Poland.”
“Poland’s status as one of NATO’s largest and best-equipped armies means that, in addition to fulfilling its primary role as a guarantor of Polish sovereignty, the Polish military can now act as a provider of security beyond its borders. (…) It is in the interest of both Poland and its NATO allies that Poland plays a more active role in deterring Russian aggression in its immediate neighborhood,” write Beaver and Embree. They point out that Poland has already begun such a mission through joint exercises with Lithuanians and cooperation with Baltic Sea neighbors. The report proposes extending Poland’s air defense coverage to Lithuanian territory and highlights the importance of transport infrastructure.
“It is extremely important that Poland, Germany, and Lithuania improve road and rail connections along this route to shorten the time needed for units to reach the Baltic states,” the report states.
Proper attention is also given to energy cooperation – in particular in the field of LNG and nuclear energy.
Four recommendations before the Nawrocki-Trump meeting
In conclusion, Embree and Beaver list “four recommendations” for Wednesday’s Trump-Nawrocki meeting. The first is “highlighting Poland’s defense leadership in Europe,” the second – “doubling down on cooperation in energy and armaments,” the third – “leveraging strategic opportunities through trade and investment” in the context of the Three Seas Initiative (TSI), and the fourth – “emphasizing Poland’s role in Baltic Sea regional security.”