Polish President Andrzej Duda is pursuing multiple paths to strengthen his country’s nuclear deterrence against potential Russian threats, Bloomberg reportedon 17 April.

“I believe we can accept both solutions,” Duda told Bloomberg in an interview in Warsaw, referring to seeking protection from France’s nuclear capabilities while continuing to push for access to US atomic weapons. “These two ideas are neither contradictory nor mutually exclusive.”

The nuclear initiative comes as Poland leads NATO in defense spending at 4.7% of its economic output. This spending surge follows Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk informed parliament in March that Poland might seek access to nuclear weapons and confirmed “serious talks” regarding French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal to use France’s nuclear capabilities to protect European allies.

Duda defended his continued lobbying efforts for nuclear sharing with the US, citing Russian aggression as justification. “How is NATO going to respond to that? My answer is very simple,” Duda said. “We invite you to extend nuclear sharing also to our territory.”

Poland’s potential embrace of France’s nuclear protection faces obstacles since France’s nuclear shield operates independently from NATO security guarantees that cover Poland.

France possesses nuclear weapons in significantly greater numbers than any other European Union country. It is the only EU member state with an independent nuclear arsenal, estimated at around 290 warheads as of 2023-2024. This makes France the fourth-largest nuclear power globally by warhead count, after Russia, the United States, and China.

Read also:

• Russia spy chief warns NATO: Poland and Baltic States to “suffer first” in event of war
• Poland’s Tusk warns Russia will be ready for larger war in 3-4 years
• FT: UK and France consider air-led “reassurance force” to deter Russia in Ukraine – but only if it’s never needed