Poland's Security Policy The West, Russia, and the Changing International Order

This book examines how the changing post-Cold War order affected Poland’s security policy and particularly how the West’s weakening position and Russia’s revisionist policy reinforced the traditional view of security in Poland.

This book examines how the changing post-Cold War order affected Poland’s security policy and particularly how the West’s weakening position and Russia’s revisionist policy reinforced the traditional view of security in Poland. It addresses the reasons why Poland, a middle power in Central Europe, adopted a bridging strategy in the early 1990s; how this strategy changed along with the redistribution of power in the international system; why, after the 2008 Georgian-Russian War, Poland took steps to support NATO consolidation, strengthen relations with the USA, and expand its own military capabilities; and how the Ukraine crisis affected Poland's security. This overview is an invaluable resource for students of international and European studies, security studies, political science, as well as for decision-makers, politicians, EU staff, and anyone interested in international politics in Central Europe.
This unusually interesting, convincing and topical monograph describes the security policy of Poland – a middle power left in suspension between the West and Russia after the end of the Cold War. The great merit of this book is to provide a clear overview of this policy’s evolution in light of neorealist theory and as a function of the ongoing redistribution of power in the international system. Prof. Justyna Zając’s book makes it possible to understand the specific, Central European nature of Poland’s security policy in a changing international order.

Professor Ryszard Zięba, University of Warsaw, Poland

This book examines how the changing post-Cold War order affected Poland’s security policy and particularly how the West’s weakening position and Russia’s revisionist policy reinforced the traditional view of security in Poland. It addresses the reasons why Poland, a middle power in Central Europe, adopted a bridging strategy in the early 1990s; how this strategy changed along with the redistribution of power in the international system; why, after the 2008 Georgian-Russian War, Poland took steps to support NATO consolidation, strengthen relations with the USA, and expand its own military capabilities; and how the Ukraine crisis affected Poland's security. This overview is an invaluable resource for students of international and European studies, security studies, political science, as well as for decision-makers, politicians, EU staff, and anyone interested in international politics in Central Europe.