ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses Poland's deterrence build-up to present national efforts to enhance it and to contribute to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) effort to deter a potential threat from Russia. It focuses on Poland's situation after achieving full independence when the Soviet Union collapsed. The chapter covers efforts to build national security and to develop security concepts. It also covers the period after the annexation of Crimea and the war in Ukraine, causing revision of the threat assessment. The chapter includes the Polish populations' perception of Russia up to 2018. It focuses on the contribution to regional security organizations and adjustments of national security concepts. The chapter presents threat assessment and national efforts to further strengthen armed forces and to create Territorial Defence Forces as integral constituents of conventional power. Therefore, the emphasis was on reassuring Eastern allies and the alliance itself that NATO is proactive and adaptive. Most of the main allies had ground troops on the frontline.
