Poland is making a serious mistake by assuming that American or European allies will come to its rescue in the event of a war with Russia, according to Marek Budzisz, an expert at the Polish think tank Strategy&Future. He made the remarks during an appearance on Polsat News.

Budzisz argued that Poland’s political establishment has reduced the debate over national security to a search for guarantees from other countries, while largely neglecting the question of whether Poland itself is capable of defending its territory.

He identified two main approaches dominating the country’s security debate.

The first is based on extensive reliance on the United States. Its supporters believe that purchasing large quantities of American military equipment will increase the likelihood of Washington intervening militarily to defend Poland.

Budzisz dismissed this reasoning, saying it has become less convincing with each passing year and is now completely detached from reality.

The second approach calls for Europe to achieve strategic independence and develop the ability to provide for its own security without relying on the United States.

Supporters of this idea argue that combining the economic resources of European countries would create a force substantially stronger than Russia.

However, Budzisz criticized the assumption that Europe’s economic advantage would automatically translate into military strength. He noted that European politicians simply add together the gross domestic products of individual countries and conclude that Europe is ten times stronger than Russia.

In practice, he argued, military capabilities and strategic calculations do not work that way.

Instead of placing its hopes in foreign allies, Budzisz believes Poland must concentrate on strengthening its own defense capabilities. He accused the country’s political leadership of avoiding that discussion because it would require them to build an effective state and fundamentally change how they govern.

According to the analyst, Polish politicians find it easier to speculate about whether the United States would intervene after Poland buys another hundred American tanks, or whether Germany and France might come to Warsaw’s aid.

Budzisz concluded that this dependence on hypothetical foreign assistance exposes how detached Poland’s national security debate has become from the practical requirements of defending the country.