France and Poland Strengthen Cooperation with Strategic Partnership
“The signing of the Nancy Treaty […] has elevated Poland to the status of our strategic partners, alongside Britain, Germany, and Italy,” highlighted Lieutenant Colonel Paul. Signed on May 9, 2025, this treaty of friendship and enhanced cooperation now forms the political foundation of a rapidly growing bilateral relationship.
Poland currently holds a central position in the European security architecture. “It is a key player in Central and Eastern Europe, with whom we share many strategic convergences,” emphasized Paul. In the face of ongoing Russian threats and changes in American engagement in Europe, Paris and Warsaw aim to strengthen their coordination. Several significant agreements were reached on April 20 at the Gdansk summit, including a partnership in military communication satellites and the adoption of a bilateral defense cooperation plan for the period 2026-2028.
Four Pillars Structuring Cooperation
The Franco-Polish cooperation now rests on four key pillars. The first involves strategic dialogue and joint mobilization for European defense. High-level meetings, including a visit to Poland by the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, preceded the Gdansk summit. Strategic dialogues held in Paris addressed major threats facing the continent, from hybrid threats to nuclear proliferation.
Building on the President’s speech on Île Longue, France and Poland will soon initiate a bilateral dialogue on advanced deterrence. “In the coming weeks, we will concretely implement the President’s speech from Île Longue,” specified Lieutenant Colonel Paul.
Increasing Operational Convergence
The second pillar focuses on aligning international commitments. Both countries continue to support Ukraine, especially in the multinational force planning under the auspices of the volunteer coalition. They also cooperate in other sensitive areas, such as Lebanon and the Gulf region.
The operational dimension is the third pillar of this relationship. “The French and Polish armed forces are both engaged in common external theaters and are increasing joint exercises to enhance their interoperability,” highlighted the officer. Currently, around fifty Polish soldiers are participating in Exercise Orion, with French military personnel set to join Exercise Dragon in Poland in 2027. Cooperation extends to missions within NATO and the European Union, particularly benefiting Ukraine.
In the aviation sector, French solidarity was recently demonstrated by deploying three Rafale aircraft to Poland last September following a Russian drone incursion into Polish airspace.
Rapidly Growing Industrial Cooperation
Lastly, the fourth pillar pertains to capacity and industrial cooperation. Two Airbus observation satellites will be delivered to Poland next year. Simultaneously, a letter of intent was signed on military communication satellites, and a memorandum of understanding between companies formalized the integration of the Polish company Radmor into the Thales Alenia Space-Airbus Defence and Space consortium.
Discussions in other sectors are also advanced, including ammunition, deep strike capabilities, transportation, air-to-air refueling, as well as emerging technologies like drones and anti-drone warfare.
Increasing Momentum
Approaching the first anniversary of the Nancy Treaty, Paris and Warsaw now aim to further accelerate their cooperation. “Our goal now is to build on these achievements and deepen our cooperation,” affirmed Lieutenant Colonel Paul.
