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Poland's President Backs Exploring a Nuclear Project, Intensifying Europe's Deterrence Debate

Legal limits leave allied hosting or a French nuclear umbrella as Poland's most realistic near-term options.

Overview

  • President Karol Nawrocki said in a televised interview that Poland should move toward joining a “nuclear project” in response to the threat from Russia.
  • Warsaw has announced no program or timetable to build nuclear warheads, and Nawrocki said any steps would respect international regulations.
  • As a Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty signatory, Poland would need to quit the pact to pursue its own arsenal, steering policymakers toward hosting allied weapons or seeking French protection.
  • The comments surface as Germany’s Friedrich Merz discusses a European deterrent with Emmanuel Macron and as Poland revisits earlier ideas to host U.S. tactical nuclear weapons.
  • Russia issued a sharp warning through a senior Duma lawmaker after previously deploying tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus in 2023, heightening eastern-flank tensions.