POLAND’S ROLE IN SHAPING A NEW SECURITY ARCHITECTURE IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE

Abstract

This article presents a comprehensive analysis of the Republic of Poland’s dip- lomatic strategy in supporting Ukraine during the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian conflict that began in 2022. The authors examine the political, security, humani- tarian, educational, cultural, and informational dimensions of Polish assistance, portraying Poland not only as an ally but also as an active architect of a new regional security system. The study explores instruments of military aid, diplo- matic lobbying within the EU and NATO, humanitarian responses to mass mi- gration, support for Ukrainian students and scholars, and mechanisms of cul- tural diplomacy. Particular attention is paid to Poland’s role in building coalitions with Central and Eastern European and Baltic states, as well as to the challenges arising from internal political polarization and economic tensions (notably the “grain crisis”). For the first time in Ukrainian academic discourse, the article systematizes approaches to assessing Poland’s proactive diplomacy during war- time and highlights the prospects for institutionalizing a long-term bilateral stra- tegic alliance after the conflict. The study is based on a combination of histori- cal-comparative, institutional, and discursive methodological approaches, which allow for a multi-dimensional understanding of Polish-Ukrainian relations in the 2022–2025 period. The results demonstrate the transformation of bilateral rela- tions from a model of “solidarity partnership” to a format of sustainable strategic alliance, which may serve as the foundation for a new security architecture in Central and Eastern Europe.