Poland and Nordic states seek Ukrainian combat experience to strengthen defenses | Ukraine news

Allies closest to Russia are rapidly absorbing Ukraine’s battlefield lessons. This shift could reshape NATO defense planning and readiness on the eastern flank.

Poland, the Baltic states, and Northern European countries show the strongest interest in Ukraine’s combat experience due to their proximity to Russia and a sense of threat from a possible conflict.

This was reported by Valeriy Vyshnivskyi, Director of Program Implementation at the NATO-Ukraine Center of Analysis, Training and Education (JATEC) and Ukraine’s Senior National Representative at JATEC, during an interview.

The nature of interaction and views on the character of the war

According to him, it is the Nordic countries, Poland, and the Baltic states that show the greatest sensitivity to Ukraine’s war experience.

They are simply geographically closer to Ukraine and Russia, closer to the fighting, feel the threat more, and thus study our experience more

– Valeriy Vyshnivskyi

Vyshnivskyi noted that some NATO allies located farther from the Alliance’s eastern flank believe that a potential war between NATO and Russia would have a different character compared to the current Russian-Ukrainian war.

I sometimes hear from colleagues in NATO countries farther from Ukraine: the Alliance will fight a different war – not like Ukraine

– Valeriy Vyshnivskyi

This implies that colleagues from the Baltic states, Scandinavia, and Poland are more deeply immersed in the context of events and better understand the overall picture, expecting a different nature of the conflict, but on the same front line on which certain forces are already operating.

International conclusions and Ukraine’s role in boosting defense readiness

According to the German Ministry of Defense, NATO needs Ukraine’s combat experience and practical expertise, particularly in the use of unmanned systems, to strengthen its own defenses and deter Russia.

This emphasis underscores the importance of sharing experience between allies and Ukraine within the current framework of defense policy and military capabilities.