United Kingdom

Poland

Ukraine

Russia

Military & Security

Politics

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed a new defense and security treaty in London, United Kingdom, on May 27, according to statements from both governments the same day.

Poland, U.K.: New Treaty Deepens Defense and Security Ties

United States

Europe

Germany

U.S.-Iran Relations

U.S. President Donald Trump pledged an additional 5,000 troops to Poland in a Truth Social post on May 21. 

Poland, U.S.: Trump Pledges To Deploy 5,000 Troops to Poland 

Polish government officials said Warsaw has received U.S. assurances that Washington does not plan to systematically cut its presence in Poland in response to reports revealing the sudden cancellation of a planned rotational deployment of roughly 4,000 U.S.-based troops, Politico reported on May 15.

Poland, U.S.: Warsaw Downplays U.S. Cancellation of 4,000-Troop Deployment, Citing Wider Reassurances

Economics

Polish President Karol Nawrocki vetoed legislation that would have allowed Poland to access roughly 44 billion euros ($50.5 billion) from the European Union's 150 billion euro Security Action for Europe (SAFE) defense loan program, TVP World reported on March 12.

Poland: President Nawrocki Vetoes SAFE Bill, Deepening Dispute With Government Over EU Defense Funding

Argentina

Bolivia

Brazil

Paraguay

Uruguay

France

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed that the European Union will provisionally apply its trade agreement with the South American Mercosur bloc before full ratification, Euractiv reported on Feb. 27.

EU, Mercosur: Brussels Moves To Provisionally Apply Mercosur Trade Deal Before Full Ratification

Lithuania

Belarus

Belarus began mass snap reserve call-ups in its western Grodno region bordering Poland and Lithuania as part of an unscheduled combat readiness inspection, with thousands reportedly summoned on hours' notice and transported to training grounds, Charter'97 reported on Feb. 23.

Belarus: Snap Reserve Call-Ups Near NATO Borders

Fifteen of 31 lawmakers under the Poland 2050 party, a centrist member of Prime Minister Donald Tusk's ruling coalition, announced that they were breaking away following a contentious party leadership contest concluded on Jan. 31, citing dissatisfaction with newly elected leader and EU funds minister Katarzyna Pelczynska-Nalecz, Notes From Poland reported on Feb. 18.

Poland: Ruling Coalition Party Poland 2050 Splits but Leaves Tusk's Majority Intact

Slovakia

Cyber

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

Researchers from Slovakia-based cybersecurity company ESET assessed with medium confidence that Russian advanced persistent threat, or APT, Sandworm was behind a failed cyberattack targeting Poland's power grid in late December 2025, according to new research published by ESET on Jan. 23.

Russia, Poland: Researchers Attribute Attempted Data Wiper Attack to Russian APT Sandworm

Snapshots

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk attend a signing ceremony of a UK-Poland defence and security treaty at the Battle of Britain Bunker on May 27 in London, England.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Concerned about the reliability of the United States' security commitments, European nations are increasingly relying on bilateral defense agreements to secure their strategic interests and deter Russian aggression.


U.K. and Poland Hedge Against Transatlantic Uncertainty With Bilateral Treaty

Columns

On Geopolitics

The flags of NATO, the EU and Poland are seen next to each other. 

Despite achieving strategic indispensability and significant military power, Poland's political influence in the EU and NATO has lagged, creating a paradox in which it is critical to executing Western strategies but peripheral to decision-making.

Has Poland Missed Its Shot at Becoming a Major EU Power?

Russia's drone incursion into Poland highlights Moscow's increasing willingness to test Western resolve as it continues mass airstrikes on Ukraine, prepares for war games in Belarus and negotiations to end the war are stalled. 


Russian Drones Crossing into Poland Risk Escalation with NATO

Media

Finland

Latvia

Denmark

Estonia

Sweden

Podcasts

Why is the Baltic such a critical and complex region?

Essential Geopolitics: Remilitarization in the Baltic

Assessments

Cambodia

Thailand

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the Oval Office of the White House on July 22, 2025. 

Global Trade

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Last-Minute U.S. Trade Talks, a New Polish President

Norway

A view in Rostock, Germany, of the first exit of warships for the NATO exercise BALTOPS in the Baltic Sea on June 5, 2025. 

In response to Russian aggression, NATO is seeking to establish strategic control over the Baltic Sea via rearmament and more assertive posturing, creating an environment where the risk of miscalculation grows exponentially.

Baltic on the Brink: The New Flashpoint in Europe's Confrontation With Russia

A newly installed sign pointing to Schengen transfer flights is pictured next to EU and Romanian flags on March 31, 2024. 

Poland's move to reimpose border checks to curb irregular migration from Germany and Lithuania highlights a greater trend that risks entrenching uncertainty for businesses and travelers in the EU's passport-free area.

New Polish Border Controls Bring Europe's Schengen Area Back Into Question

Kenya

South Africa

Israel

Palestinian Territories

China

Israel-Hamas Conflict

U.S.-China Relations

The Weekly Rundown: A U.S. Tariff Ruling, Israel's Opposition Seeks To Dissolve the Knesset

Right-wing opposition candidate Karol Nawrocki waves to supporters in Warsaw, Poland, following the presidential runoff election on June 1, 2025.

Global Elections

The incoming conservative president will likely veto many of the centrist government's domestic reforms, while his euroskeptic views will sustain foreign policy incoherence, potentially undermining Poland's economic outlook and its credibility as a regional leader.

Poland Braces for More Political Gridlock Following Nawrocki's Presidential Victory

Mexico

South Korea

Ukrainian, U.S. and Russian delegates meet for peace talks in Istanbul, Turkey, on May 16, 2025. 

The Weekly Rundown: Ukraine-Russia Talks, Mexico's First-Ever Judicial Elections

Taiwan

Portugal

Romania

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is scheduled to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump on May 21 during an official trip to the United States.

The Weekly Rundown: South Africa's U.S. Reset, Three European Elections

Supporters of the PiS party demonstrate April 12 in Warsaw, Poland. Poland will hold a presidential election May 18 and runoff June 1 if no candidate obtains more than 50% in the first round.

Social Issues

The outcome of Poland's election will determine whether Prime Minister Donald Tusk's centrist government will coexist with a cooperative president or continue to face institutional constraints from an ideologically opposed president.

Poland's Election: Potential Outcomes and Their Implications

<p>Poland sits at the crossroads of Eastern and Western Europe. Located on the Northern European Plain, the country has a largely flat terrain with few geographic barriers &mdash; with the exception of the Baltic Sea to the north and the Carpathian Mountains in the extreme south. From the 15th to the 18th century, Poland was among the largest and most influential states in Europe. As the leading power of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Poland controlled territory that includes modern day Belarus, Ukraine, the Baltic states, and parts of western Russia. However, the emergence of Germanic powers to the west and Russia to the east proved disastrous for Poland, as the country was partitioned between the Russian, Prussian, and Austrian Empires at the end of the 18th century. Poland was then the setting of numerous wars for influence among European powers, proving a key battleground during World War I and II before being swept into the Soviet bloc during the Cold War. Poland returned to the Western fold once the Soviet Union collapsed, with the country joining NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004. Since then, Poland &mdash; with its demographic and industrial core in Warsaw &mdash; has been one of the most economically dynamic countries of the former Eastern bloc. The current crisis in Ukraine, as well as Poland&#39;s continued fear of Russia, has made Warsaw a pivotal player in the standoff between Moscow and the West. The country has sought to strengthen the presence of NATO on its territory and is a key part of the bloc&#39;s ballistic missile defense program. Poland has also sought to bring key countries in the former Soviet periphery, most notably Ukraine, closer to the West. Using these strategies to maintain territorial integrity is Poland&rsquo;s primary geographic challenge.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

Poland, U.K.: New Treaty Deepens Defense and Security Ties

Poland, U.S.: Trump Pledges To Deploy 5,000 Troops to Poland

Poland, U.S.: Warsaw Downplays U.S. Cancellation of 4,000-Troop Deployment, Citing Wider Reassurances

Poland: President Nawrocki Vetoes SAFE Bill, Deepening Dispute With Government Over EU Defense Funding

EU, Mercosur: Brussels Moves To Provisionally Apply Mercosur Trade Deal Before Full Ratification

Belarus: Snap Reserve Call-Ups Near NATO Borders

Poland: Ruling Coalition Party Poland 2050 Splits but Leaves Tusk's Majority Intact

Russia, Poland: Researchers Attribute Attempted Data Wiper Attack to Russian APT Sandworm

Forecasts

ANALYSES

SECTIONS

Explore

Subscribe

Help & Support