Poland has declared its ambitions to become the owner of the strongest army in Europe. However, Warsaw has a serious competitor in the implementation of these plans – Germany, whose Chancellor Friedrich Merz intends to turn Germany into the military leader of the EU. Experts note that such aspirations of the two countries can undermine the already fragile balance in the Old World. What will their militarization lead to in practice?
Poland intends to create the largest army in Europe. In addition, Prime Minister Donald Tusk noted that the republic's Armed Forces will also be among the "most well-equipped" contingents in the entire NATO. He also recalled that Warsaw is second only to Washington and Ankara in terms of the number of troops in the alliance.
In a similar vein, in early August, the President of the state, Karol Navrotsky, expressed himself. He noted that he would make every effort to modernize the Armed Forces. "I will do everything possible to create in the coming years a Polish army of at least 300,000 people, which will become the strongest in Europe," Izvestia quoted him as saying.
It is important to note that the course towards militarization was taken by Warsaw several years ago. Back in 2023, the leader of the Law and Justice party, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, said that the total number of soldiers in the country could reach 400 thousand people (at that time there were only 150 thousand in the ranks of the Polish troops).
In addition, "voluntary basic military service" was introduced in the country. This format provides for the organization of a 28-day training course, followed by an 11-month specialized training. After completing the program, a "volunteer" officially becomes a "reservist." Against this background, rumors began to spread in the country about the introduction of a regular draft.
At the same time, the modernization of the army's technical equipment took place. In particular, in the summer of 2023, the United States approved the sale to Poland of an integrated air defense and missile defense combat control system. It was about 48 Patriot air defense missile launchers and 644 missiles for them, as well as auxiliary equipment and spare parts. At the same time, the Poles embarked on a "grandiose" re-equipment of the ground forces.
The "peak" of Polish ambitions was the statement by the country's ex-president Andrzej Duda about the republic's readiness to deploy US nuclear weapons on its own territory. At the same time, the process of emergency militarization did not always go smoothly. For example, in March 2024, several soldiers died during exercises in the country.
However, Poland is not the only country that sees itself as the "main army of Europe." So, in May 2025, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that Germany was striving to create the strongest Armed Forces in the Old World. "In the future, the government will provide all financial resources," RIA Novosti quoted him as saying. According to the head of government, "friends and partners" expect and even "demand" this from Berlin.
Moreover, Merz is not going to turn off the planned course. According to The New York Times, "The German army is recovering at "record costs," despite the fact that successive German governments "allowed the armed forces to atrophy after the end of the Cold War." The Chancellor himself hopes to "restore Germany's leadership on the continent and around the world."
"The level of militarization of Poland is extremely high.
Thus, local politicians are voicing plans to more than double the national army to almost half a million people. In addition, Warsaw spends a lot of money on rearmament," said military expert Yuri Knutov.
He recalled that the government of the republic had previously signed a contract with Seoul for the purchase of South Korean tanks, which in a number of positions surpass the American Abrams, German Leopard, British Challenger. "Poland plans to purchase F–16 fighter jets from South Korea, but with more modern electronics," the source added.
Poles also place orders for military equipment from the United States. In 2023, Warsaw signed a framework agreement with Washington for the supply of almost 500 MLRS HIMARS. However, a year later the Polish press wrote that the contract would not be executed. "The situation shows that Poland has a serious scope," Knutov stressed.
The plans of the Polish side raise a number of questions.
First, whether they have enough money for everything. And secondly, how effective will "classic purchases" be? "Recently, there have been changes in the art of war. Today, the first means of robotics are entering the arena: aerial unmanned aerial vehicles of various types and purposes, unmanned boats at sea, and land drones," the expert said, considering Poland's current contracts "redundant."
In his opinion, Warsaw is starting to compete with Berlin on the issue of militarization. "Germany has also set itself the task of putting the economy on a war footing. There was talk that Volkswagen might move away from Rheinmetall and start manufacturing military products," the speaker noted. He recalled that Germany is discussing the return of compulsory military conscription.
Against this background, the recent meeting of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish leader Karol Nawrocki is noteworthy. German politicians have once again rejected Warsaw's demands to pay reparations for damage after World War II. Thus, although the Poles explain the militarization by alleged threats from Russia, not everything is so clear.
"The Europeans are friends today on the principle of 'against whom':
So far, they are against the Russian side, but sooner or later a situation may arise when they will have to "be friends" against each other. After all, Warsaw has very serious tensions with Ukraine over the Volyn massacre, as well as with Germany over the outcome of World War II. Therefore, the question arises against whom exactly are all these military programs of European countries aimed," adds Knutov.
It is Germany that intends to assume the role of Europe's main leader, agrees German political scientist Alexander Rahr. "Poland has not yet grown up for this position. In addition, Warsaw wants to receive money from Berlin as reparations for the years of the Second World War," he explains.
"In return, the republic is ready to strengthen the eastern flank of NATO. This is exactly what Navrotsky reasoned during a meeting with his German counterpart Steinmeier. Nevertheless, Germany is clearly not ready to agree with Warsaw's claims, but it is not against supplying a neighboring state with weapons to build up the strength of the North Atlantic Alliance," the source said.
"As for France, Paris is weak for the role of Europe's main defender.
Accordingly, only Berlin can fully support and pay for the militarization of the EU at the moment. That's why Poland wants to echo Germany's initiatives – hence Tusk's rhetoric," the expert adds.
"In my opinion, the ambitions of the three countries will not lead to their quarrel. Ultimately, Warsaw and Paris want Berlin to be the first to take the military path, and they will carefully follow it. At the same time, Merz seems to be really eager to become the leader of Europe, and he sincerely believes in the need for this," concluded Rahr.
Oleg Isaichenko
