August 13, 2026: Currently, Poland ranks 9th in Europe by GDP at $1.13 trillion. Germany is the highest at $5.45 trillion, while Russia is 5 ^th with $2.09 trillion. In 1939, before Germany and the Soviet Union/Russia attacked Poland, it had a GDP of $74.6 billion, compared to Germany’s $351 billion, the Soviet Union’s $359 billion, America’s $800 billion, and Japan’s $169 billion. This explains the outcome of World War II, and the 2026 numbers make it clear that Poland is no longer a minor military power in Europe. Poland currently has the largest modern tank forces in Europe.

Three years ago, Poland ordered a thousand South Korean K2 tanks, most of which will be produced in Poland under license. The 55-ton K2 is similar to the American M1 but without annoying American export controls. K2 has a 120mm gun that can fire guided missiles, extensive electronic systems, and an autoloader. That means the crew size is three.

Poland is rapidly replacing its older tanks, giving most of them to Ukraine. Before the Russian invasion, Poland had 233 German Leopard 2s. These were acquired between 2002 and 2015. Poland also had 230 locally manufactured PT-91s, a major upgrade of the T-72 but still not on a par with Western designs (M1, Leopard 2, Challenger 2, and Leclerc). Ukraine is slowly receiving small numbers of M1s, Leopard 2s and Challenger 2s. Because of that, the PT-91s are welcome. Ukrainian tank and maintenance crews don’t require much additional training to use the PT-91.

The K-2 replaced older American M-48 tanks and completed the transformation of the South Korean tank force. Three decades ago, South Korea developed and built its own K-1 tank using assistance and licensed tech from the United States. The 51-ton K1 is based on the American M1 design but is somewhat smaller and equipped with the same 105mm gun used by the U.S. M60 tank. The K1 has a 1,200-horsepower diesel engine instead of the 1,500-horsepower gas turbine engine in the M1. Production of the K1 ended in 1997, with about a thousand built. There have since been some upgrades to the fire control and communications systems, as well as the development of the K1A1, which has the same 120mm gun as the M1, along with other equipment used by the M1, but not the K1. The K1A1 appears to be part of the K2 development project, as only two K1A1 prototypes were built and successfully tested.

Poland is also buying 1,400 locally designed and manufactured Borsuk (Badger) IFVs (infantry fighting vehicles). Poland has already retired its Russian-designed BMP IFVs, retaining only a few used for special duties. Poland also has 690 of the 22-ton Rosomak 9x9 wheeled IFVs. These are built in Poland under license from Finland’s Patria. Delivery to troops began in 2005. Some pre-production models were sent to Afghanistan in 2001, where Polish peacekeepers needed a vehicle like the Rosomak. The wheeled armored vehicle performed well in Afghanistan, withstanding Taliban attacks using RPGs.

Russia has openly named portions of Poland as some of its future targets for absorption into Greater Russia, otherwise known as the Russian empire. Belarus, the Baltic States and some former Soviet territories in Central Asia are also on the acquisition list. None of these targets for Russian aggression are willing to go peacefully. As the largest and wealthiest East European NATO member, Poland is leading the way by rearming to confront any future threat. After Russia invaded Ukraine, Poland decided to increase the size of the armed forces to 300,000 personnel and spend as much as 5 percent of GDP on defense. Current spending is 4.8 percent. NATO agreements call for 2% of GDP, but few European NATO members have met it. Now, more NATO members are reaching or exceeding 2%, and increases are higher the closer a country is to Russia.

Poland’s military achievements have been marred by a spat with Ukraine over events that took place during World War II. The Volhynia and Eastern Galicia massacres were blamed on Ukrainian UPA partisan units that were accused of murdering over 100,000 Polish civilians. The Ukrainians pointed out that Polish partisans killed at least 20,000 Ukrainians. Polish and Ukrainian partisans were both fighting the German forces occupying their territory.

Because of these 82-year-old events, opinion polls revealed that negative attitudes towards Ukrainians increased by nearly 50%. Mediators in both countries are urging Poles and Ukrainians to stay focused on defeating the Russians in Ukraine, because Russia admits that it will go after Poland and other portions of Eastern Europe once Ukraine is subdued.