Northern Group allies gather in Warsaw to address European security issues.

Today in Warsaw, Poland, ministers and representatives from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and the UK convened for the Northern Group Ministers meeting.

Currently chaired by Poland, the meeting was attended by UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, hosted by Minister of National Defence Mariusz Błaszczak in Legionowo, near Warsaw.

The meeting addressed threats and challenges to European security. All partners acknowledged that Putin’s unlawful invasion of Ukraine has significantly altered the security landscape, with Russia’s aggressive stance posing a direct threat to the security, stability, and prosperity of the Euro-Atlantic region.

Members of the Northern Group unanimously concurred that providing further military aid to Ukraine is essential for its defense against Russia’s harsh aggression.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace stated:

Defence partnerships like the Northern Group are essential for addressing shared threats. As nations with aligned interests, we are committed to supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression for as long as necessary.

It was a pleasure to reconnect with my friend and close defence partner, Mariusz Błaszczak. We have enjoyed over 150 years of a strong defence alliance with Poland, and our ongoing collaboration enhances security and stability throughout Europe.

The NATO Vilnius Summit was also a topic of discussion, focusing on the implementation of agreements reached during the Madrid Summit in 2022. Northern Group members agreed that the Vilnius Summit should enhance regional security through the further strengthening of Allied deterrence and defence strategies.

During the meeting, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace held a bilateral discussion with his counterpart Mariusz Błaszczak. It has been less than a month since Ben Wallace last visited Poland as a guest at the Bucharest 9 meeting. Their previous meeting was in October 2022, where they signed an Air Defence Complex Weapons Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and the Arrowhead-140 Statement of Intent.

The Air Defence MOU enables the UK and Poland to collaborate on the development and production of current and future complex weapons, further enhancing the relationship established through the Defence and Security Cooperation Treaty (2017) and improving the interoperability of our Armed Forces. The Arrowhead-140 Statement of Intent outlines a framework for our governments to work together on the procurement and operation of three Arrowhead-140 frigates, with the Polish Frigates being a variant of this model.

At the end of April, a significant £1.9 billion export agreement was finalized between the UK and Poland. This contract with the UK firm MBDA for a British-designed air defence system marks a major advancement for Euro-Atlantic security and will support hundreds of skilled jobs throughout the UK.

This agreement is one of the largest of its kind in NATO, equipping 22 Polish air defence batteries with advanced UK Common Anti-Air Modular Missiles (CAMMs) and launchers.

These recent announcements are part of a continued collaboration between our two nations, aimed at enhancing Poland’s military capabilities to deter aggression, in addition to the UK’s deployment of the Sky Sabre air defence system to Poland.