What’s Behind Poland’s Bid for Membership in European Sky Shield Initiative?

Poland intends to join the German-led European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI) aimed at building a common air and missile defense system across the continent, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said after meeting with his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen earlier this week.

He added that "it completely does not bother" him that "the Germans were the main initiators of this initiative."

Poland’s desire to be part of the ESSI comes in the wake of Iran’s recent missile attack on Israel and reflects Warsaw’s drive to deal with air defense (AD)-related issues, Mikael Valtersson, former officer of Swedish Armed Forces and ex-chief of staff with the Sweden Democrats, told Sputnik.

"The successful interception of most of the Iranian missiles by the Israeli Iron Dome shield has put focus again on how important AD is," Valtersson said, recalling that senior Polish officials remain at odds over the Sky Shield initiative. Israel claimed to have successfully intercepted 99% of the Iranian missiles and drones launched by the Islamic Republic last weekend in retaliation for the attack on the Iranian embassy compound in Syria that left 13 people dead.

He recalled that while "liberal PM Donald Tusk" supports the idea of Poland joining the ESSI, the country’s "conservative President Andrzej Duda" is opposed to the idea, calling it a German business initiative.

"Poland already has an ongoing AD cooperation with the US and the UK. Duda is probably worried that this cooperation might be jeopardized with participation in the ESSI, while Tusk mainly sees this as a method to lower [the] acquisition cost for future missiles and not competing with the ongoing AD cooperation with America and Britain," the expert argued.

He cautioned that while Poland "has no plans to abandon its special relation with the US, the very strong conflict in other political areas, between PM Tusk and President Duda, might also lead to a fight about ESSI membership in Poland."

Valtersson suggested that if Warsaw joins the initiative, "it will increase the bargaining power of the ESSI countries a bit, but not result in any drastic changes."

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Germany launched the initiative in August 2022, amidst Russia's ongoing special military operation in Ukraine. Since then, 19 countries, including several NATO members and historically neutral Austria, have joined the European Security and Sovereignty Initiative (ESSI). The project specifically involves the joint procurement of German-made IRIS-T SLM air defense systems by European countries.

Herbert Kickl, the leader of the right-wing Freedom Party of Austria (FPO), criticized his country's participation in "Sky Shield" as a "devastating blow to our neutrality policy." He accused Chancellor Karl Nehammer of sacrificing Austria's neutrality "on the altar of NATO".

Unscrambling the Polish Puzzle: Warsaw Debates European Sky Shield Membership