If attacked, Poland is prepared to move its most valuable artworks abroad. It also plans to lay mines along its border with Russia and is training its population in civil defence. From Warsaw’s point of view, war is a real possibility—and one that needs to be taken seriously.
“The Polish Ministry of Culture is preparing plans to transfer the country’s most valuable artworks abroad in the event of a Russian invasion,” Culture Minister Hanna Wróblewska told the Financial Times. She said the ministry is in talks with foreign partners to find a safe location for storing works evacuated from around 160 institutions. In addition to paintings and sculptures, the evacuation would include rare books and musical instruments.
The cultural protection effort is being led by former army colonel Maciej Matysiak, who once served as deputy head of Poland’s military counterintelligence service. “We needed someone with military and defence experience who also understands crisis management,” Wróblewska explained. The plan draws partly on lessons learned from helping Ukraine move cultural treasures to Poland after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Some of those Ukrainian works remain in Poland to this day.
All signs suggest that Poland is taking seriously the warning from Ukrainian intelligence chief Oleh Ivashchenko. According to him, Russia could be “technically” ready to wage war against Europe within two to four years after its war on Ukraine ends, UNIAN reports.
In response, Poland is launching a military training programme for adults and a new course for schoolchildren—open to both men and women—according to Politico. These short sessions, lasting just a few days, will cover the basics of civil defence, first aid, and some military techniques. For those with previous military experience, more advanced training will also be available.
The adult training initiative is part of a broader programme introduced by the Tusk government. Poland is also expanding its school curriculum under the banner “Education with the Army.” From September, physical education classes will include a civil defence module.
Warsaw now spends more on defence than any other NATO member, allocating 4.7% of its GDP. Poland has the EU’s largest army and is pouring billions of euros into aircraft, missiles, tanks, artillery, and other equipment. The government plans to expand the armed forces to 500,000 personnel and train millions of reservists by the end of 2025.
Poland has allocated nearly $8 billion for weapons production and the construction of shelters. According to Finance and Regional Policy Minister Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz, Warsaw is the first city in Europe to establish a dedicated Defence and Security Fund.
“We share a border with the Russian Federation and its ally, Belarus. There’s no buffer zone between us, which means we have very little time to prepare or react,” said General Wiesław Kukuła, Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces. “But if we are ready—and if Russia knows we’re ready—that becomes a powerful deterrent. In my view, strong enough to stop Russia from risking a war,” he added.
As part of its “Eastern Shield” project, Poland also plans to lay anti-personnel mines along its borders with Russia and Belarus, Deputy Defence Minister Paweł Bejda told RMF24. Bejda stressed that the country “has no other choice,” given the serious situation at the Polish-Belarusian and Polish-Russian borders. “Just consider where the attack on Ukraine came from—through Belarus,” he pointed out. “We don’t currently have anti-personnel mines, but we do have the capability to produce them.”
