French President Emmanuel Macron (left) and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk shake hands at the end of a joint press conference at the Main Town Hall in Gdansk, Poland, on April 20, 2026, during the French president's one-day visit to Poland. LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP
France and Poland planned increased defense cooperation in a meeting of their leaders on Monday, April 20, held against a background of Russia's expansionist threat and a waning US commitment to Europe. French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish premier Donald Tusk told a news conference in Gdansk, northern Poland, that the scope of the boosted ties between the two NATO members could cover elements of nuclear deterrence, military satellites, joint drills, defense industry and shared intelligence.
"Our cooperation, whether in the nuclear domain or in joint exercises (...) is a cooperation that knows no bounds," Tusk said. Macron said work would be done in the next few months allowing "concrete progress," notably when it came to nuclear deterrence.
"There may be deployments" to Poland of French warplanes carrying nuclear warheads, he said. While France has specified it would retain full control over the decision to use force, Polish forces could contribute in areas such as early warning and air defense, both sides say.
