Pivotal Poland: Europe’s Rising Power

Over the last decade, Poland has emerged as a major player in European military security strategy. Although the country is polarized, all its parties are resolutely opposed to Russian aggression in Ukraine and Moscow’s broader effort to reassert regional power. Unlike its central European neighbors, Poland is large enough to matter; unlike some of its western European neighbors, it has carried out a robust military buildup. In a time of transatlantic discord, the country is emerging as an essential transatlantic link. This book, more think-tank report than scholarly monograph, provides a useful factual compendium of background material about Polish defense policy—although the absence of an index or a digital version remains a major obstacle to its efficient use. The volume’s concluding policy recommendations, only loosely connected to the empirical analysis, are more problematic. Some suggestions will raise eyebrows, as when the author counsels Poland to address democratic backsliding with a public relations campaign, urges that Ukraine be allowed to join NATO, and advocates a serious Western effort to promote regime change in Russia.