Key Takeaways
- The Poland‑UK Treaty reaffirms both nations’ ironclad commitment to NATO as the cornerstone of Euro‑Atlantic defence while seeking to deepen bilateral cooperation across foreign policy, defence, national security, economic resilience, and energy‑climate security.
- Concrete mechanisms include regular ministerial‑level dialogues, joint training and exercises, shared defence‑industry initiatives, coordinated sanctions against Russia, and collaborative efforts on hybrid threats, cyber security, and critical infrastructure protection.
- The treaty links security and prosperity, emphasizing that diverse, clean energy systems, resilient supply chains, and strong democratic institutions are mutually reinforcing.
- Governance is ensured through a senior‑official coordination mechanism, biennial Prime Ministerial reviews, and provision for amendments, termination, and dispute resolution by negotiation.
- Territorial application covers Poland and the UK, with optional extension to the Crown Dependencies by mutual agreement.
Preamble and Shared Objectives
The treaty opens by underscoring the Parties’ resolve to strengthen security and defence cooperation amid rising geopolitical instability, identifying the Russian Federation as the most significant long‑term threat. It reaffirms commitment to NATO, the UN, human rights, democracy, the rule of law, and the Paris Agreement, while linking economic growth, energy security, and climate action to overall prosperity.
Article 1 – Foreign and Security Policy Cooperation
The Parties pledge to deepen coordination on international security and foreign policy through regular ministerial and official consultations, aiming to develop common positions and promote mutual interests. They will intensify cooperation within NATO, OSCE, the UN, and leverage the UK‑EU Security and Defence Partnership (May 2025). Joint actions include countering Russian aggression, upholding sanctions, supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and reconstruction, advancing strategic stability dialogues, defending press freedom, enhancing women’s participation in peace‑and‑security processes, and expanding international development cooperation.
Article 2 – Defence and Security Cooperation
Building on the 2017 Defence Treaty and the 2023 Joint Declaration, the Parties aim to strengthen Euro‑Atlantic security, enhance armed‑force interoperability across all domains, support NATO deterrence and defence, and bolster defence‑industry collaboration. Commitments include providing forces for NATO defence plans, reinforcing the eastern flank, developing joint capabilities, aligning defence industrial strategies, advancing defence‑financing mechanisms, and expanding cooperation in cyber, AI, space, and dual‑use technologies. Regular liaison officer exchanges, professional military education, and annual strategic dialogues between Ministers and Chiefs of Defence Staff are instituted to institutionalize these efforts.
Article 3 – National Security Cooperation
Recognising the interconnected nature of internal threats, the Parties agree to bolster joint action against threats to critical infrastructure, transnational organised crime, migrant smuggling, and hybrid threats such as cyber‑information attacks and Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI). They will share best practices on border security, resilience of energy and other critical sectors, counter‑terrorism intelligence, and criminal‑justice cooperation, including negotiations on a prisoner‑transfer agreement. Cooperation with INTERPOL, Europol, Eurojust, and streamlined Mutual Legal Assistance—especially via digital means—is emphasized, alongside regular expert‑community dialogues on national‑security challenges.
Article 4 – Economic Security Cooperation
The treaty stresses that strong, resilient economic growth and national security are mutually reinforcing. Parties will exchange information on global events, promote diverse and secure supply chains, and enhance transport resilience through dual‑use infrastructure. They commit to dialogue on barriers to trade and investment, collaboration on global health and food security, support for bilateral investment (including SMEs and start‑ups), and advancement of science‑and‑technology cooperation, especially in dual‑use and commercial technologies while safeguarding research security. Economic‑security dialogues will address geopolitical implications of regulatory and technological shifts affecting critical infrastructure and supply chains.
Article 5 – Energy and Climate Security Cooperation
The Parties view a diverse, clean‑energy system as central to energy independence, price stability, and climate mitigation. They pledge to share experience on the fossil‑fuel‑to‑clean‑energy transition, support the Paris Agreement’s net‑zero‑by‑2050 goal, and promote renewable, nuclear, and other low‑emission sources. Joint actions will protect maritime and land‑based critical energy infrastructure, strengthen resilience against threats, and expand civil‑nuclear cooperation while seeking to exclude Russian Federation involvement in nuclear supply chains. Collaboration will involve transmission‑system operators, market regulators, ministries, state‑owned enterprises, and commercial partners to deliver joint projects that bolster both energy security and economic growth.
Article 6 – Treaty Governance
A senior‑official coordination mechanism will be created to review implementation, assess existing and prospective projects, and identify new cooperation avenues. Prime Ministers will hold biennial consultations to assess progress, supplemented by ad‑hoc ministerial‑level dialogues on specific policy themes as needed, building on the structures established in the 2017 Treaty.
Article 7 – Relationship with Other Laws
The treaty shall be implemented in accordance with each Party’s national legal system and shall not prejudice any rights or obligations arising under international law.
Article 8 – Territorial Scope
The treaty applies to the territory of the Republic of Poland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. By mutual agreement, it may be extended to the Bailiwick of Guernsey, the Bailiwick of Jersey, and the Isle of Man through an exchange of notes.
Article 9 – Dispute Settlement
Any disagreement concerning the interpretation, application, or implementation of the treaty shall be resolved solely through negotiation between the Parties.
Article 10 – Amendments
The Parties may amend the treaty by written agreement. Amendments will enter into force following the procedure outlined in Article 12 or on a date mutually agreed upon.
Article 11 – Termination
Either Party may terminate the treaty by delivering written notice to the other. Termination takes effect six months after receipt of the notice, unless the Parties agree otherwise or withdraw the notice before the end of that period.
Article 12 – Entry into Force
The treaty shall enter into force thirty days after the Parties have exchanged notifications confirming completion of their respective internal procedures for ratification.
Signatures
The treaty is executed in duplicate, in Polish and English, both texts equally authentic, by the authorised representatives of the Republic of Poland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.