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Poland and Czech Republic pledge closer defence and energy cooperation

16.02.2026 22:30
The foreign ministers of Poland and the Czech Republic have pledged to deepen cooperation on defence, infrastructure and energy security, following talks in Warsaw on Monday.
Polands Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski (right) and Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka (left) attend a joint press conference in Warsaw, 16 February 2026.
Poland’s Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski (right) and Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka (left) attend a joint press conference in Warsaw, 16 February 2026.Photo: PAP/Tomasz Gzell

At a joint press conference, Poland’s Radosław Sikorski said close bilateral ties were essential to regional security.

Discussions with his Czech counterpart, Petr Macinka, covered boosting European defence and the arms industries of both countries, as well as transport links and energy security.

Sikorski highlighted Poland’s EUR 100 million contribution last year to a Czech-led ammunition initiative and said Polish ports and its LNG terminal were available to the Czech Republic, describing the two nations as "natural partners" with Poland serving as "a bridge to the Baltic".

Ukraine was also high on the agenda.

Both ministers stressed the need for sustained support, with Sikorski saying a just peace "must not punish the victim" and condemning Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure as acts of "barbarism".

He also warned that disinformation and foreign interference pose serious security risks and called for stronger resilience through NATO and EU cooperation.

The talks touched on the EU’s future, energy prices and reform of the European Green Deal, with Sikorski noting that Warsaw and Prague share similar views.

He acknowledged that cooperation within the Visegrád Group has weakened but said it still has potential, adding that Poland would pursue pragmatic projects and hopes for dialogue to ease tensions with Hungary.

Macinka said discussions included bilateral initiatives, Ukraine and a long-running territorial debt dispute dating back to the 1950s, which he said was nearing resolution.

Asked about reports of a possible European nuclear deterrence mechanism led by Germany and France, both ministers urged caution.

Sikorski reaffirmed Poland’s commitment to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, while Macinka said nuclear energy was of greater public interest to both countries.

Reflecting on their exchanges during the Munich Security Conference, the ministers described their talks as constructive.

Sikorski said he had once been a Eurosceptic but changed his views with experience, while Macinka described himself as a "Eurorealist", adding that differing perspectives can make discussions "more lively and interesting".

(ał)

Source: PAP