POLAND’S MILITARY SECURITY POLICY IN THE CONTEXT OF THE RUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN WAR: CHANGE OR CONTINUITY

After nearly 25 years of relative calm in this part of the world, war once again stroke Eastern Europe. The annexation of the Crimean Peninsula and stirring up the revolt in Donbas inspired by Moscow against the government in Kyiv, unquestionably deepened the feeling of insecurity in states situated at the Eastern flank of NATO – Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania. This, in turn, inevitably had to exert some impact on military security policies of all the states mentioned above. Additionally, since the autumn of 2015 the hitherto opposition came to power in Poland. These two facts influenced Poland’s military security policy. We can distinguish two elements of continuity and change in Poland’s military security policy. On the one hand, Warsaw assiduously endeavours to make NATO’s presence in the Eastern flank more considerable and visible, on the other hand, clearly a modification of deterrence by punishment and deterrence by denial strategy is on the horizon in Poland. One of the most crucial element of it, is a conceptual resurrection of territorial defence, which currently is being implemented in Poland. Undeniably, what currently is taking place in Poland in military aspects, will be reflected in other states of the region.