Due to Vladimir Putin's growing imperialist ambitions, countries in the region, including Poland, feel threatened and under pressure.
Many are asking to what extent NATO membership acts as a deterrent to Russian aggression and how the alliance's posture has changed since Poland joined.
In an exclusive interview with Radio Poland's Ada Janiszewska, former Polish President Aleksander Kwaśniewski addressed these questions and provided his insights.
They talked during a conference entitled "Poland’s 25 Years in NATO: What If There Was No Alliance?" at the University of Warsaw earlier this month.
On February 26, 1999, Kwaśniewski signed Poland's Instrument of Accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, paving the way for the country to become a formal member of the alliance on March 12 of that year.
Click on the audio player above to hear the interview.