Poland as a Security Provider: The Future of Central Europe in the Context of the War in Ukraine
Dr. Blazej Sajduk, Spring 2026 Visiting Professor at the Skalny Center, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of National Security at Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland, and Deputy Director of the Center for Quantitative Research on Politics.
Wednesday, March 25, 2026
7:30 p.m.–9:30 p.m.
Sloan Auditorium, Goergen Hall
Russia's war against Ukraine has transformed Poland from a frontline ally into a pivotal security actor in Central Europe. In this lecture, Dr. Sajduk uses scenario-based analysis of the 2026–2035 horizon to examine Poland's evolving role — exploring its military posture and controversial capability choices, the dilemmas of European defense funding, economic resilience strategies, and the future of regional cooperation through formats such as the Visegrád Group and the Bucharest Nine. The talk concludes with plausible future scenarios and their implications for Central Europe's security architecture and the balance between European strategic autonomy and transatlantic cohesion.
Sloan Auditorium, Goergen Hall, UR River Campus
Lecture 7:30–8:30 pm · Discussion 8:30–9:30 pm
Free and open to the public