Poland's deputy prime minister Radosław Sikorski proposed that NATO intensify exercises near Russia's Kaliningrad exclave to prompt Moscow to redeploy troops from Ukraine. Sikorski, speaking at the Yalta European Strategy conference on Sept. 11 in Kyiv, stressed drills should be defensive and aimed at creating uncertainty for Russian decision-makers. A 2023 CNA report noted Kaliningrad previously hosted reinforced forces including the 11th Army Corps, while Lithuania estimated only "several thousand" troops during Zapad 2025 preparations. Poland is also hosting Coalition of the Willing drills and advancing its 10 billion zloty East Shield defensive program along the 800 km border.
Poland Urges NATO Drills Near Kaliningrad To Pressure Russia Into Redeploying Forces From Ukraine
Polish K2 Black Panther tanks maneuver during the Operation Brave Boar 26 military exercise at the Orzysz Land Forces Training Center near the Suwalki Gap in Poland on June 17, 2026. (Damian Lemanski/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Poland's deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Radosław Sikorski, proposed that NATO allies intensify military exercises near Russia's Kaliningrad exclave to compel Moscow to weaken its deployment in Ukraine and redeploy some forces, Sikorski said on Sept. 11 at the Yalta European Strategy conference in Kyiv.
Context and Rationale
Sikorski argued that Russia's invasion of Ukraine has reduced the Kremlin's defensive posture in Kaliningrad — the Russian Baltic exclave that borders Poland and Lithuania — and that a stronger allied presence and more frequent drills in the region could force Moscow to divert troops back from Ukraine. He emphasized that such actions should not be offensive against Kaliningrad itself but should aim to create uncertainty for Russian decision-makers.
"We should not be thinking about our confrontation with Russia only as being confined to Ukraine," Sikorski said. "I'm suggesting we should exercise so aggressively on our side as to make [President Vladimir Putin] uncertain of what we will do, and so that he needs to draw forces away from Ukraine."
What Analysts Say
A 2023 report by the U.S. Center for Naval Analyses (CNA) noted that, before the war, Kaliningrad's defenses were reinforced with deployments that included the 11th Army Corps, whose composite ground forces numbered up to an estimated 18,000 troops. However, Lithuania's Ministry of National Defence estimated that only "several thousand" troops would be stationed in Kaliningrad during preparations for the Russia-Belarus "Zapad 2025" exercise.
Poland's Defensive Moves
Sikorski's remarks come as Poland prepares to host the first drills of a so-called "Coalition of the Willing" with British and French forces. Separately, under the East Shield initiative — a program valued at roughly 10 billion zloty (about $2.7 billion) — Poland is investing in defensive infrastructure, including fortifications and the use of natural terrain obstacles along its approximately 800 km (497 miles) border with Kaliningrad and Belarus.
Implications
Escalating NATO exercises near Kaliningrad could prompt Russia to reallocate forces, potentially easing pressure on Ukrainian frontlines. At the same time, such moves carry risk of heightened tensions in the Baltic region and would require careful diplomatic and military calibration to avoid miscalculation.
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