Relationship dossier
Poland
Russia
Relationship assessment
Poland-Russia relations are severely strained by the war in Ukraine, security disputes, and energy confrontation.
Poland toward Russia
-75Poland has backed sanctions against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, provided substantial support to Ukraine, and pursued a reduction in reliance on Russian energy. Poland also expelled Russian diplomats in 2022, citing alleged intelligence activity.
Russia toward Poland
-80Russia halted gas supplies to Poland in April 2022 after Poland refused to meet its payment demand in rubles. Russia has also adopted hostile rhetoric toward Poland and expelled Polish diplomats in response to Poland’s 2022 diplomatic expulsions.
Overall relationship
-80The relationship is defined by sustained security and political confrontation, intensified by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Poland’s support for Ukraine and sanctions. Russia’s termination of gas supplies to Poland and reciprocal diplomatic expulsions reinforce this adversarial structure. These conflicts outweigh the limited scope for practical bilateral engagement.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Polish-Russian relations are marked by sustained confrontation, especially since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Poland has supported sanctions on Russia, assisted Ukraine, and reduced dependence on Russian energy. Russia halted gas supplies to Poland in 2022 and has used hostile rhetoric toward Poland. Diplomatic expulsions and disputes over security and history have further strained ties.
Areas of tension
- Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Poland’s support for Ukraine
- Poland’s support for sanctions against Russia
- Russia’s halt of gas supplies to Poland in 2022
- Reciprocal expulsions of diplomats and allegations of intelligence activity
- Security concerns and hostile political rhetoric
Key developments
Russia halted gas supplies to Poland after Poland rejected payment in rubles.
Poland expelled Russian diplomats, citing alleged intelligence activity; Russia subsequently expelled Polish diplomats in response.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, prompting intensified Polish support for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia.
Major uncertainties
- The full scope and implementation of measures restricting Russian diplomatic and economic activity in Poland are unclear.
- The extent of any remaining direct bilateral cooperation is uncertain.