ASSESSMENTS

Stuck Between the U.S. and the EU, Poland Explores Its Options

Jul 10, 2018 | 09:00 GMT

In this photograph, demonstrators carry Polish and European Union flags during a 2016 rally in Gdansk, Poland.

Demonstrators carry Polish and European Union flags during a 2016 rally in Gdansk, Poland. The demonstration was organized by the Committee for the Defense of Democracy to protect the country's constitution.

(ADAM WASILEWSKI/Shutterstock)

Highlights

  • Friction between the United States and the European Union will force Poland to find a balance between its main security ally and its main economic partners.
  • Poland will seek to preserve its alliance with the United States on issues varying from  energy to security.
  • While Poland will remain skeptical of European integration, it will not do anything to jeopardize its membership in the Continental union.

These are turbulent times for U.S.-EU relations. In recent weeks, the White House and the European Union have clashed over various issues, including the Iran nuclear deal, defense and trade, and have produced friction that could disrupt the political, economic and security institutions that the United States and Europe created after World War II. The developments give most European countries cause for concern, but the issues represent a particularly significant challenge for Poland, because its main security ally -- the United States -- is at odds with its main economic partner -- the European Union. The disputes threaten Poland's interests, but this period of difficulty also presents Warsaw with a variety of options and opportunities....

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