A new UK-Poland defense treaty is expected to be proposed by the UK at a bilateral summit in Warsaw. The treaty will be only the second such bilateral agreement between Britain and a European ally.
Highlighting the importance of the UK’s relationship with Poland, UK PM Theresa May is expected to state that not only will Brexit not weaken their relationship, but will rather function as a catalyst, further strengthening it, the BBC reports.
While France is currently the only European country with a bilateral defense agreement with the UK, the new agreement is intended to provide a framework for greater cooperation in training, information exchange, defense procurement, as well as joint exercises.
“Our partnership is broad, vibrant and diverse and we both share a steadfast commitment to Europe’s security and defense,” the British PM is expected to say, according to the BBC.
Cooperation will also be expanded in the media sphere, where the UK will provide £5 million in funding for a joint UK-Polish plan aimed at countering regional “Russian misinformation”, the BBC reports. This will include funding for the Polish TV channel Belsat, which is owned by Polish state broadcaster Telewizja Polska.
May’s visit comes against the backdrop of seeking Polish support in the upcoming talks between the EU and UK over Brexit. On Wednesday, the EU Commission suggested the possibility of political sanctions against Poland being used under Article 7 of the Lisbon Treaty for the first time. This would strip it of voting rights at the EU level. The move is aimed at preventing Poland’s alleged drift towards authoritarianism. Hungary, meanwhile, has said that it will veto any move by the EU to impose sanctions on Poland.