Poland will soon have Europe's largest army, Tusk pledges

Poland's army will soon be the "largest in Europe," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said during the country's Army Day celebrations on Aug. 15.

Warsaw has raced to build up its armed forces since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, bringing war to NATO's doorstep.

Poland demonstrated its growing military might with a show of force on Aug. 15, hosting a large-scale military parade in Warsaw and naval parade in Gdynia. The procession featured a record-breaking 300 armored vehicles and approximately 2,000 soldiers, according to the Polish Press Agency (PAP).

"Our army, our armed forces, will soon be the largest in Europe," Tusk said during a speech at the naval parade in Gdynia.

"We can already say that we are building a force that will determine the fate of the region with its modernity and sheer numbers, and the entire world appreciates this, especially our allies."

Poland more than doubled the size of its armed forces personnel between 2014 and 2025, going from roughly 100,000 to 216,000 — the third largest military in NATO after the U.S. and Turkey.

Warsaw's fighting force now numbers 220,000 soldiers, Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said on Army Day. The goal is to have 300,000 active-duty personnel with another 200,000 in the reserves, he said.

Poland's military strength is essential for maintaining security along NATO's eastern flank, Tusk said in his address. He insisted that Russia remains the greatest threat to Poland, Europe, and NATO, despite what far-right nationalists in Warsaw might suggest.

"You know those forces, those political parties, those politicians who want to convince Poland and Poles that our main problem is Europe, that Ukraine is our enemy, that the European Union is unnecessary, and Germany is our greatest enemy," Tusk said.

"And somehow they forget about Russia, the neighbor, the dangerous neighbor, who is waging war just beyond our borders, and sometimes this war even encroaches upon our borders."

Tusk's comments allude to the recent tensions in Polish-Ukrainian relations, which have been inflamed by conservative political factions and have led to a spike in violence against Ukrainians in Poland.

Throughout the diplomatic crisis, Tusk has urged caution, pointing out that Kyiv and Warsaw share a common enemy in Moscow. Russia's attacks against Ukraine have even breached the border with Poland, most recently when a Kh-101 cruise missile crashed into Poland's Lublin region on July 30.

Russian missiles and drones have also violated Polish airspace in previous incidents. In September 2025, Poland became the first NATO country to directly engage Russian forces when its Air Force shot down a barrage of Russian drones during a mass aerial assault on Ukraine.

The encounter prompted consultations under Article 4 of the NATO defense treaty.

This threat is the primary reason Poland must continue supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia, Tusk argued during his speech. Support for Ukraine is a critical measure for Polish security.

"Our Polish-Ukrainian relations can be debated, but no one can doubt that supporting Ukraine in the war with Russia is for our security," he said. "We do it for ourselves, for Poles, and for no one else."

Poland observes Army Day on Aug. 15, the anniversary of the Battle of Warsaw in 1920. The battle marked a decisive Polish victory over the Soviet Union, halting the Red Army's westward advance.