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Poland is thinking about its own nuclear bomb

2026-02-16 18:04:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

In an interview with Polsat News, Polish President Karol Nawrocki said he was a strong supporter of a Polish nuclear program. He referred to Russia's war against Ukraine and the growing risk of an even bigger war in Europe.

"We must follow the path towards developing our Polish nuclear potential, of course respecting all international norms," ??he declared. "We must create the conditions to work in this direction. We are a country on the brink of an armed conflict."

Russia as an acute threat

Nawrocki explained that he sees Russia as a general threat to Poland. "We know what an imperialist and aggressive attitude the Russian Federation has towards Poland," he said. "I don't know when the nuclear program might start, but you asked for my opinion: as far as Poland's security is concerned, including a possible nuclear path, that's something I support."

Poland does not yet have its own nuclear industry. The country's first nuclear power plant is currently being planned. Its construction is scheduled to begin in 2028.

The storage of American nuclear warheads?

To this day, Polish leaders have occasionally discussed a path toward Poland's nuclear participation in NATO's nuclear defense. Both current President Karol Nawrocki and his predecessor Andrzej Duda raised the idea of ??storing US nuclear warheads in Poland. This is now happening, for example, in Germany and other NATO countries.

Last year, Poland also signed an agreement with France that could pave the way for Poland's participation in a French-led nuclear defense shield.

Uncertainty with the Trump administration

So far, there has been cautious reaction from the liberal government to the ideas of national-conservative President Nawrocki. Micha? Szczerba, an MEP from the Citizens' Coalition, said: "If this is necessary in terms of our security, then of course the government will decide on this with our army. The most important thing is our security and we are doing everything we can to ensure it."

Szczerba said he trusts the Americans and believes in a strong NATO. "I believe that the uncertainties currently coming from the Trump administration are only temporary."

Polls back nuclear weapons
Navrocki's views appear to reflect the mood of a large part of the Polish population. In a poll published shortly before his interview, almost 58% of Poles were in favor of Poland having its own nuclear weapons. About 30 percent, on the other hand, believed that such a project should be pursued only in cooperation with European partners.

Russian reactions to Nawrocki's interview were swift. Senator Alexei Pushkov, of the Kremlin's United Russia party, explained that excessive ambitions have always destroyed Poland./DW