France and Poland announced plans to formalize a strategic treaty to deepen their bilateral alliance, focusing on defense, energy, and EU-NATO cooperation.
The agreement, discussed during a summit in Warsaw between French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, builds on the 2021 Strategic Partnership Agreement and aims to counter regional security threats, particularly from Russia’s actions in Ukraine. While no treaty was signed by May 9, 2025, both nations committed to finalizing terms by Q3 2025, emphasizing mutual defense commitments and economic collaboration.
The treaty’s defense component includes joint military exercises, with 2,000 French and Polish troops participating in NATO’s 2025 Dragon exercises, and co-development of next-generation tanks under the EU’s Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO). Poland, hosting 10,000 U.S. troops, seeks French support to bolster NATO’s eastern flank, where 40% of alliance forces are deployed. Energy cooperation targets Poland’s nuclear ambitions, with France’s EDF bidding to build reactors by 2033, reducing Poland’s 70% reliance on coal. The treaty also addresses EU policy alignment, with France supporting Poland’s push for agricultural protections against Ukrainian imports, impacting 15% of Poland’s grain market.
The initiative reflects shared concerns over Russia’s 2024 mobilization of 160,000 troops and nuclear rhetoric, with Poland spending 4.7% of GDP on defense, the highest in NATO. Historical tensions, including Poland’s 2023 criticism of France’s Ukraine aid pace, have eased, with both nations aligning on 80% of EU sanctions against Russia. The treaty’s economic scope includes a €1.5 billion trade increase, targeting tech and green energy. Challenges include Poland’s judicial reforms, which France insists align with EU rule-of-law standards, affecting 20% of EU funding to Warsaw. The treaty signals a robust Franco-Polish axis, aiming to shape EU security policy amid global uncertainties.