Foreign relations of Poland

Poland wields considerable influence in Central and Eastern Europe and is a middle power in international affairs.

Foreign policy topics are covered in the history articles: After regaining independence in 1989, Poland has ahead on its economic reintegration with the Western world.

Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz told a 2014 audience at the Wilson Center that Poland sought to join NATO as early as 1992.

[136] A tighter security alliance with the United States was announced in the middle of the Georgian crisis as an agreement between the two countries was reached to allow the US to install and operate an interceptor missile defense shield, a move which Russia sees explicitly targeting it and which it stated made Poland "a legit military target".

[149] Poland broke off relations with Israel after the Six-Day War of 1967, following most other countries of the Soviet Union controlled Eastern Bloc.

Government relations between Poland and Israel are steadily improving, resulting in the mutual visits of presidents and the ministers of foreign affairs.

[178] Polish-French relations date several centuries, although they became really relevant only with times of French Revolution and reign of Napoleon I.

After the fall of communism, Poland and the reunited Germany have had a mostly positive but occasionally strained relationship due to some political issues.

Poland and Lithuania formed a close alliance and political union since 1385, which was eventually transformed into the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, one of the greatest historic powers of Central and Eastern Europe.

[199] After a few years, as the situation normalized, Polish-Lithuanian relations have been steadily improving over the past two decades, with both countries joining the NATO and European Union.

Since 2009, however, relations with Russia somewhat improved, despite the Smolensk air disaster where the former Polish president died on what is still considered a controversial event.

After the annexation of Crimea by Russia the relations deteriorated again, as Poland strongly condemned Russian actions against Ukraine.

This agreement enables Ukrainian citizens living in border regions to cross the Polish frontier according to a liberalized procedure.

British efforts meanwhile were focussed at trying to break Poland off from the Warsaw Pact and encouraging reforms in the country.