Poland has an attitude about Russia.
And Germany. But especially Russia.
There's a joke that's been bouncing around western security circles: "Someone asked a Polish soldier 'If Germany and Russia invaded Poland simultaneously, who would you shoot first?"
"The German", answered the Polish soldier. "Business before pleasure".
While most of NATO's continental partners have been slow to recognize the threat that Moscow still presents them, Poland (and the Baltic states, especially Estonia), having had to free themselves a few times in the past century, are well ahead of the continental curve. They were spending ahead of President Trump's challenge to NATO to spend 2 percent of their GDP on defense in 2017. They're ahead of the 5 percent standard now, they are on their way toward having the largest land army in NATO, and their version of the National Guard is recruiting far ahead of quota.
But Poland's president, Karol Nawrocki is introducing a philosophical and moral angle to the issue that may be familiar enough to Americans — but is pretty radical for Europeans (and some Americans); legalizing and propagating the responsible civilian ownership of firearms to further deter any (cough cough) hypothetical potential invaders:
Karol Nawrocki, Poland’s president, has called for a public debate on “responsible access to firearms in Poland,” saying the country is at the bottom of the European ranking in terms of gun ownership.
Nawrocki made the comments during the opening of a new firing range in the eastern village of Boguty-Pianki. He said Poland is behind other countries of the region for gun ownership and “even within the European Union, Poland ranks at the very bottom in terms of access to firearms.”
The president said only around 1% of the Polish public has access to a firearm and knows how to use it, adding that “fortunately” he is one of them.
Nawrocki spoke at the opening of a sport shooting range:
“We must initiate a public discussion on responsible access to firearms in Poland,” said Polish President Karol Nawrocki [@NawrockiKn], noting that Poland ranks at the bottom of the EU for gun access. Only around 1% of Poles have access to a firearm and know how to use it, with…
— TVP World (@TVPWorld_com) September 26, 2026
He spoke at the opening of a sport shooting range, celebrating his newly acquired permit to own a firearm:
- We live, ladies and gentlemen, in a transatlantic culture, so to speak, where there are different approaches to firearms. On the one hand, in the United States, the right to access firearms is enshrined in the Constitution, while on the other hand, in the European Union, there is a much more restrictive approach to firearm ownership - he continued.
- Even within the European Union, Poland remains at the very end regarding access to firearms; only about 1% of Polish citizens have access to firearms and know how to use them - he went on to say.
- I am convinced that we must initiate a public discussion on responsible access to firearms in the Republic of Poland - he added.
In Europe currently, only the Czech Republic has anything remotely similar to a legal right to keep and bear arms, while Austria had legalized, essentially, shotguns. Other countries — Scandinavia, Germany and others — have some limited, tightly regulated access to hunting and target firearms, under close state control. Switzerland and Finland, of course, have some degree of national military service, similar to Israel, with most citizens taking some kind of military training. As Nawrocki pointed out, while about 1 percent of Poles own and are proficient with firearms,
“In the Czech Republic and Austria, this figure is higher—around 3–5%—while in Finland or Switzerland, as many as 30% know how to use a firearm,” Nawrocki said. “I am convinced that we must initiate a public discussion on responsible access to firearms in Poland.”
The discussion is, notably, not about hunting, unless the prey is "invaders".
