Polish President Nawrocki calls for national nuclear weapons program amid rising security tensions

Polish President Karol Nawrocki has signaled a decisive shift in Warsaw’s strategic posture, calling for the development of a national nuclear weapons program to counter what he characterized as an escalating “Russian threat.”

While European members of NATO have frequently invoked the prospect of Russian aggression to justify significant military buildups, Moscow has consistently dismissed such claims as unfounded fearmongering.

Speaking to Polsat News on Sunday, Nawrocki positioned himself as a “strong supporter” of Poland’s participation in a nuclear project.

“We must move in this direction so that we can initiate the necessary work,” Nawrocki stated, emphasizing the urgency of the strategic pivot.

The Polish president added, however, that uncertainty remains regarding whether Warsaw will formally follow through on the initiative in the immediate term.

Poland is currently a signatory to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), an international framework that recognizes only the US, Russia, China, France, and the UK as nuclear-weapon states.

Nuclear acquisition debates lose taboo status in Germany

The discourse surrounding nuclear acquisition is simultaneously undergoing a radical transformation in Germany, where the topic is no longer considered a political taboo.

Sergey Nechayev, Russia’s Ambassador to Berlin, described the trend as deeply alarming in a statement to RIA Novosti on Friday. He noted that the prospect is gaining increasing traction in media circles and finding “advocates” among politicians, lawmakers, military officials, and strategic experts.

Kay Gottschalk, a member of parliament for the right-wing AfD party, argued last month that European nations can no longer remain dependent on American protection, asserting that Germany “needs nuclear weapons.”

Gottschalk suggested that recent frictions between the US and its European allies over Greenland proved that Washington’s interests are “fundamentally different” from those of Europe.

In July, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi noted that Germany possesses the technical capacity to develop a nuclear bomb “within months,” though he characterized such a scenario as “entirely hypothetical.”

Quest for nuclear deterrence continues in Japan and beyond

The pursuit of independent nuclear deterrence is also echoing in the Asia-Pacific. In December, Japanese media reported that a senior advisor to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested the country should consider developing its own nuclear capabilities. The remarks drew a sharp rebuke from Beijing.

Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, observed last month that in an environment of mounting global instability, some nations may view the acquisition of nuclear weapons as the only viable means of ensuring self-defense and national sovereignty.

“A number of nations possess the technical capacity to conduct military nuclear programs, and some are already conducting research in this field,” Medvedev said.

Beyond the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, India, Pakistan, and North Korea maintain known nuclear arsenals. Israel is also widely believed to possess undeclared nuclear capabilities.