New Anglo-Polish Defence Agreement Boosts Ties

Increased military co-operation to tackle the growing threats facing Europe will be at the heart of a new defence and security agreement launched by the UK and Poland today.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer will travel to Poland today to start talks with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on the new UK-Poland Treaty, which will bring the two countries closer together to tackle shared threats.    

With Putin’s ongoing aggression in Ukraine, the people smuggling gangs profiting from human misery and wreaking havoc across borders, and the growing threat of climate change – the Prime Minister has been clear that closer working with our European allies is necessary to tackle the issues that rebound on the British people at home. 

The treaty will support our militaries to work more closely together to protect Europe from Russian aggression and do more to tackle disinformation and hybrid threats. It will also see the two nations work together to smash the people smuggling gangs, secure our energy supplies and protect our infrastructure. 

The UK and Poland have been close allies for many years, working together to bolster NATO’s Eastern Flank and deepening our defence industrial cooperation through key defence projects such as the MIECZNIK AH140 Frigate Programme and the NAREW Ground Based Air Defence Programme.

The Prime Minister has also confirmed a boost to the UK’s defence industries with the opening of a new UK-Poland Joint Programme Office in Bristol this year, which will be staffed by personnel from both countries while delivering Poland’s next generation air defence system. 

The NAREW programme is a collaboration between UK firm MBDA and Polish defence company PGZ, which will see Poland receive more than 1,000 air missiles to help protect its people and bolster overall European security. 

It follows the Prime Minister’s trip to Ukraine this week, where he confirmed the UK’s enduring support for Ukraine via a new 100 Year Partnership. 

Keeping the country safe and secure is the Prime Minister’s first priority and the key foundation on which the government will deliver its Plan for Change. 

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

“The UK and Poland are longstanding allies and our co-operation stretches back for generations.  

“With ever-increasing threats to Europe’s security, now is the time to take our partnership to the next level, so we can ensure we’re tackling the big issues that rebound on the British people at home – from Putin’s aggression to the vile people smuggling gangs trading in human misery.

“It is only through closer collaboration with our most important partners such as Poland that we’ll protect the UK’s national security – the key foundation on which I’ll deliver my Plan for Change.”

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