Poland began the largest overhaul of its navy since the Cold War to bolster defenses in the face of Russian expansionism and transatlantic tensions.
Warsaw is proportionally NATO’s biggest spender, with 4.7% of GDP going to defense, but its maritime forces have largely been neglected.
Moscow’s escalating hybrid warfare, however, has heightened security concerns in the Baltic Sea, and Europe is stepping up coordination and production: Warsaw will buy three new submarines from Sweden, and is expected to sign a defense agreement with the UK.
Europe lacks initiative, not ideas, when it comes to innovative defense coordination, the Stimson Center argued, perhaps because it fears that “bold action” could exacerbate US President Donald Trump’s hostility toward the continent.
