In the latest sign of deepening alliances between European nations, France and Poland signed a treaty to increase their cooperation in areas such as defense and nuclear energy.
The May 2025 agreement included a mutual-assistance clause, which strengthened the commitment between the two NATO members to support each other in case of an attack.
“I am deeply convinced that … in these difficult times [we] will be able to count on each other in every situation,” said Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, according to Reuters.
Tusk said the treaty could also lead to a potential coverage to the French nuclear umbrella. However, the document did not contain a specific mention of the nuclear deterrent, according to Reuters.
“The interests of our main partners are integrated in deciding what our vital interests are,” French President Emmanuel Macron said, according to Radio France Internationale.
In March 2025, Macron said he was open to extending his nation’s nuclear capabilities to other countries in Europe.
The agreement does, however, include provisions for nuclear energy. France produces about 70% of its electricity from nuclear energy and is the world’s largest net exporter of electricity, according to a 2025 World Nuclear Association profile.
Reuters called the treaty a “testament to fast-growing Poland’s increasingly pivotal role on the European stage, thanks to its strategic position on the continent’s eastern flank.”
Poland spends 4.12% of its economic output on defense, the highest percentage in NATO, according to Reuters.
NATO’s 32 members currently are committed to spending at least 2% of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defense, including Portugal (1.55%), Italy (1.49%), Canada (1.37%), Belgium (1.3%) and Spain (1.28%), according to the German TV network DW. The U.S. government has called on NATO members to eventually raise their defense spending to 5%.
The Poland treaty is similar to those already signed by France with Germany, Italy and Spain, according to the TV news channel France 24. Macron emphasized that it is an addition to protections already offered by the Alliance and the European Union (EU), according to France 24.
“It does not substitute for NATO or EU,” Macron said, according to the news channel, adding it “reinforces what already exists today.”