Transatlantyckie związki Polski i Czech w systemie bezpieczeństwa Europy Środkowej

The safety of Central European countries after the “cold war” was considered an essential part of the Transatlantic security system. The Polish and Czech accession to NATO (1999) and EU integration (2004) became the fundament of strong relations between them and the USA on the strategic level. Despite the asymmetry of military potential, for both states the cooperation with Washington was an integral element of security and defense strategy. This states that the alliance with the global leader helps to strengthen the position of regional powers (such as Poland) and small states (like the Czech Republic) in the region (Central Europe). The article provides an overview and assesses the security aspects of Central Europe in the context of relations of this region with the United States – the global leader. In addition to that, the thesis elucidates the impact that cooperation with the USA had on the transformation of the security systems of both states.