Poland Reinforces Suwalki Gap with Border Troops Amid Rising Military Buildup

Warsaw – Poland has reinstated temporary border controls in the strategically vital Suwalki Gap — the narrow land corridor linking the Baltic states to the rest of the EU and separating Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave from Belarus. The measure, announced by General Wieslaw Kukula, Chief of the General Staff, includes the deployment of 5,000 troops: 4,000 along the German border and 1,000 near Lithuania.

While Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak claimed the move targets illegal migration, critics argue it reflects a broader militarization strategy under the pretext of countering the  “Russian threat.” The Suwalki Gap has long been considered a flashpoint in NATO-Russia tensions, and Poland’s military moves are increasingly seen through that lens.

This development comes as Poland leads Europe’s most aggressive military buildup, with its defense spending soaring to over 4% of GDP—more than $30 billion—since 2022. The increase includes large-scale arms acquisitions and expanded troop deployments, placing Poland at the center of NATO’s eastern front strategy.