Views /Opinion

The Polish presidency in the Council of the EU—boosting European resilience and humanitarian engagement

As the Polish presidency of the Council of the European Union comes to an end this month I would like to reflect on it.

We live in turbulent times and Europe has been severely affected too. The scale and intensity of challenges, some of them global in scope, is unprecedented. The wars in Ukraine, in the Middle East, but also in South Asia have brought about existential challenges and put pressure on global agendas.

Contemporary Poland, currently the 21st largest-economy in the world, is at the crossroads between its recent painful past, surviving communist oppression and colonial domination by the Soviet Union, and the current freedom and prosperity as a member of the EU and the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance. And our foremost responsibility is to project this stability and prosperity throughout Europe and beyond.

That is why Poland adopted “Security, Europe” as the motto of its Presidency. In this capacity we have worked to shape the European Union into a stronger, more influential and responsible actor globally. We have brought the issue of security to the forefront of EU work. Thanks to our commitment and determination, EU leaders have come to realise that the current shape of Europe is insufficient to address present threats. Under our presidency, the EU has announced major investments in its security and we have made sure that these initiatives are gaining momentum.

First and foremost we have continued political, military and financial support for Ukraine. The year 2025 will be decisive in determining what direction the war will take. It is now evident   that Russia’s “war economy” is crumbling, thanks to the EU’s persistent sanctions policy, and the EU’s military assistance has helped to push Russia out of Ukraine’s internationally recognized territory.

At the same time the Polish presidency has remained committed to preventing further escalation and contributing to the peaceful resolution of conflicts in the Middle East.

The Israeli – Iranian war has been a particularly alarming development to all of us. The latest escalation of tensions in the Middle East was triggered by an unprovoked Israeli attack on Iran, particularly in the context of the ongoing US–Iranian negotiations regarding its nuclear program. Poland, just as Qatar, has been calling on both sides to de-escalate tensions and resolve the dispute peacefully. These issues were discussed during a phone call between the Polish foreign minister, Radosław Sikorski and his Iranian counterpart, Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, on 16 June. We hope that, despite the current situation, the US-Iranian talks will be resumed. Poland is coordinating with its allies and regional partners to address potential risk scenarios and is striving to ensure that the Israeli-Iranian crisis does not result in wider  regional escalation.

Poland and the European Union, in full alignment with the UN Charter, have consistently and  firmly rejected any attempts to seize any territory by force or to alter its demographic balance both in Gaza and elsewhere in the world.

Therefore we strongly believe that the two-state solution is the only viable and sustainable path to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The European Union actively supports diplomatic initiatives through the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution. We stand fully prepared to collaborate with regional and international partners in pursuit of this goal. We are looking ahead to the upcoming High-Level Conference, to be co-chaired by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Republic of France, which will directly address these issues with active Polish participation.

The Polish presidency of the Council of the EU has also played a meaningful role in advancing humanitarian cooperation with our global partners. In this context Poland co-hosted, in partnership with the European Commission, the European Humanitarian Forum held 19-20 May in Brussels, with participation of more than 2300 attendees, including a Qatari delegation. The final statement emphasized the importance of resilience-building as well as EU’s global leadership in humanitarian affairs: the European Commission alone pledged at least 2.3 billion EUR in humanitarian funding for 2025.

It is of key importance to highlight that the EU remains the largest humanitarian donor  to the Palestinian people, both in Gaza and in the West Bank. We are committed to maintaining this course. It is imperative that humanitarian assistance remains impartial and unconditional. Any blockades impeding large-scale aid delivery must be lifted.

During the Polish presidency in April the first ever EU–Palestine High-Level Dialogue was convened resulting in the expansion of support to the Palestinian Authority, which included the announcement of 1.6 bln EUR funding package.

Over recent decades, Palestine, whose statehood Poland recognized in 1988, has consistently been a priority recipient of the Polish official development and humanitarian assistance. Between 2023 and 2024 this support totalled nearly 14 mln USD, reflecting a 75% increase.

In regard to Syria, the fall of the Assad regime presented a historic opportunity for all Syrians to rebuild their country. But it is essential for all stakeholders to engage in a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned dialogue. The transition must be peaceful and inclusive and ensure the protection of civilians. To help mitigate Syria’s severe socio-economic challenges, Poland and other EU member states have suspended the majority of restrictive measures targeting the former Assad regime. The EU stands ready to scale up   its support for an inclusive transition, to address urgent humanitarian needs, and to promote economic recovery, including through participation of European businesses.

Poland and the EU also remain committed to resolving   the conflict in Yemen and to stabilizing Libya. There is a growing concern about the destabilizing role of Russia in Africa, particularly in Libya and the Sahel, through disinformation campaigns and the presence of its paramilitary groups, who take control and exploit local strategic resources.

In this context it is essential to deepen the strategic dialogue between the EU and the Gulf Region.  Cooperation in recent years has intensified significantly Poland strongly supports   further engagement with the Gulf countries as key strategic partners. Throughout our Presidency Poland has worked to follow up on the discussions at the 1st ever EU-Gulf Cooperation Council Summit held in Brussels, on 16 October 2024, under Qatar’s presidency in the Council. The efforts have focused on strengthening trade, investment, energy and technology partnerships, enhancing inter-regional connectivity, reinforcing joint action on global challenges, and building bridges between peoples.

We are particularly committed to improving EU-GCC coordination in the fields of humanitarian and developmental policy. Therefore we welcome the mediation efforts led by Qatar, including initiatives to provide humanitarian support to Ukraine, including those that facilitate the reunification of displaced Ukrainian families.

Six months is undoubtedly a very short time but I firmly believe that Poland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union has made a tangible contribution to enhancing Europe’s defence capacity, economic competitiveness and technological resilience. Just as importantly it has helped forge meaningful partnerships across the MENA region. I am confident that the incoming Danish presidency in the Council of the EU will continue on this path, and, working hand-in-hand with the European External Action Service, we will ensure continuity and durability of the EU engagement with Qatar and in the wider region.