Defence and International Security

On 22nd September, in her speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UN GA) the Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi - as the first Japanese leader since 2005 - urged the removal of the ‘enemy state’ clause from the UN Charter. The provision was included in the UN's founding document to denote nations that fought against the Charter’s original signatories during World War II, specifically targeting Axis powers such as Germany, Italy and Japan. Although over eight decades have passed since the end of the conflict and the ‘enemy states’ are well-functioning democracies, the clause remains in its original form. Moreover, in 1995 the UN GA adopted a resolution stipulating it had ‘become obsolete’ and called for its erasure from the Charter.

According to Finnish media reports, the United Kingdom has proposed extending a nuclear umbrella over the members of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF). Apart from France and the United States, the UK is the only NATO member possessing its own nuclear capability. The initiative arose in response to declining faith in the nuclear umbrella provided by the United States. Poland's participation in the format would make sense if it were covered by the initiative's nuclear deterrence.

The three-day Donald Trump–Xi Jinping summit, held on 23–25 September 2026, has been widely described as rich in ceremony but poor in substance. The leaders of the United States and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) failed to achieve a breakthrough on any of the major international disputes currently at stake, nor did they announce any significant new initiatives.

On March 12, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) legislature adopted the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress (民族团结进步促进法). The adoption of the law took place during the annual Lianghui, or (两会), meaning the “two sessions,” or the annual plenary meetings of China’s top legislative and political advisory bodies. These are the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

What do Poland and the Republic of Korea (ROK) have in common? Despite the distance between the two and the fact that they are representative of and stand as the most successful nations economically, politically and militarily in their respective regions of the world, despite the two nations being the products of two entirely different cultures, the answer to that question of what they have in common is “a great deal.”

The reality of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, rising defense spending across Europe, and the Benelux countries’ commitment to strengthening EU capabilities (particularly in the context of expanding the defense industrial base and scientific research, as well as cross-border military projects), have made these countries a valuable direction for Poland in the coming years for developing new forms of cooperation and investment, as well as a point of reference and an opportunity to mutually benefit from best practices and experience.

The Republic of Korea (ROK) has become a key European defence partner – and has achieved success in this regard to a level that was perhaps previously not thought possible.

Around a decade ago at the Singapore Air Show the executive of a major US defence company told me more than once “my best sales agents are the Chinese. Every time they make a public show of steaming their aircraft carrier out for sea trials or commit another one of their violations of some nation’s territorial waters or build up another one of their artificial islands – that’s when my phone starts ringing. Other nations in the region suddenly want to know how soon they could have some US-made military hardware, especially if they are EDA [Excess Defence Articles].”

Second half of May 2026 was a busy time in Asian diplomacy

On 12 May 2026, more than thirty participants convened at the offices of Wardyński and Partners on Aleje Ujazdowskie in Warsaw for a meeting of the National Security Industrial Club (NSIC) and the Casimir Pulaski Foundation, dedicated to drone and counter-drone systems as a challenge for Poland's security.

Nearly four years after the beginning of the full scale Russian invasion on Ukraine, Poland faces a strategic decision on how to advance cooperation with Ukraine in the rapidly growing field of military drone production. The choice lies between basing this partnership on the NATO frameworks or pursuing it bilaterally. Each of the options presents specific advantages and trade-offs in terms of speed, control, industrial benefit, and strategic influence.

Todays near standoff between the Philippines and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in the Scarborough Shoal is a reminder that over time foreign policy mistakes only expand in their complexity and negative implications.

Cheng Li-wun, Kuomintang’s (KMT – current Taiwanese opposition) leader, just concluded her April 7-12 visit to People’s Republic of China.

On March 2, 2026, French President Emmanuel Macron announced in Brest a revision of nuclear deterrence policy aimed at increasing France’s nuclear potential and enhancing cooperation in this area with allies. This is another element of a broader adaptation of French security policy in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine and growing uncertainty regarding the United States’ commitment to European security, including in light of the new U.S. National Security Strategy.

The Casimir Pulaski Foundation’s Asia Research Center initiative endeavoured to spearhead the research into joint perspectives between Poland and the Asia-Pacific.

Over the past two decades, the Republic of South Korea (ROK) has undergone a dramatic transformation in defence-industrial design and production. Like most major initiatives historically taken on by the country, it is also a transformation that has taken place in record time.

Recent events in relation to Greenland struck a lot of controversy and provoked many reactions. The subject isn’t new as the first time Donald Trump publicly admitted that the US should try to acquire Greenland was 18th August 2019. That day, he confirmed he was considering an attempt to buy Greenland and added that it “would be strategically nice [for the USA to own]”.

Prompted by Russia’s failed attempt to subjugate Kyiv and deepening internal problems, the members of this axis have nonetheless eschewed the establishment of a formal military alliance. Instead, they are engaged in an episodic, escalating and deepening military, economic, and technological cooperation.

On October 21, 2025, Sanae Takaichi, a conservative politician representing the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), became the new Prime Minister of Japan. The new prime minister faces a number of challenges related to the country’s political and economic situation, as well as the stabilization of her own party.