Poland Plans Fortifications on Ukraine Border, PM Tusk Says

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced plans to extend the “Eastern Shield” defense project to the country’s border with Ukraine. Initially, the initiative focused on fortifying borders with Russia and Belarus.

During a visit to the first completed segment of the fortifications, Tusk highlighted the project’s objective to enhance security in the Warmian-Masurian, Podlaskie, Lublin, and Subcarpathian regions. He assured that no forced relocations of residents in these areas would take place.

Tusk stated, “Everything we are doing here, and will also do on the border with Belarus and Ukraine, is meant to deter and discourage a possible aggressor, and therefore this is really an investment in peace.”

The Polish government is also working closely with the Baltic states to establish comprehensive defense infrastructure along the borders with Russia and Belarus.

Addressing the inclusion of the Ukrainian border in the project, Tusk stated, “Our efforts will also focus on the border with Ukraine—not for the same reasons as with other borders, but to ensure that Poles feel secure along the entire eastern frontier.”

The “Eastern Shield” initiative, led by Poland’s Ministry of Defense and General Staff, involves constructing various fortifications and defense infrastructure. By 2028, the project aims to cover approximately 800 square kilometers with surveillance and threat detection systems, advanced bases, logistical hubs, storage facilities, and anti-drone systems. The project, launched in early November, has an allocated budget of 10 billion złoty (approximately 2.3 billion euros).