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Paper short abstract

This paper aims to move beyond a simple descriptive account of Japan-Poland partnership to offer a nuanced, theoretically-informed analysis of its underlying drivers, its multi-faceted manifestations, and its broader implications for the future of the rules-based international order.

Paper long abstract

The international security landscape has undergone a dramatic transformation, characterized

by the erosion of established norms and the rise of geopolitical competition. In this context,

the traditional geographical boundaries of security are becoming increasingly blurred. In this evolving context,

the strategic convergence between Japan and Poland—two middle powers geographically

separated by thousands of kilometers but ideologically aligned—presents a compelling case

study, especially given their bilateral plan of action released in 2025. This paper aims to move beyond a simple descriptive account of their growing partnership to offer a nuanced, theoretically-informed analysis of its underlying drivers, its multi-faceted manifestations, and its broader implications for the future of the

rules-based international order. This research paper seeks to answer a core question: How has

the strategic convergence between Japan and Poland, precipitated by the war in Ukraine,

evolved to include the domains of cyber defense, technology, and maritime security?

The central argument of this research is that the post-February 2022 strategic convergence

between Japan and Poland is not a novel creation. Instead, it represents a powerful re-

activation and institutionalization of a strategic alignment against belligerent powers enabled

by systemic shifts in the liberal international order. This convergence, while indisputably

catalyzed by the immediate material threat of Russia's aggression, is fundamentally enabled

by a shared strategic identity and is amplified by a mutual recognition of the inseparability of

Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific security. To understand the strategic convergence between

Japan and Poland, this research will employ a neoclassical realist framework, which provides

a powerful tool for analyzing the directions of Japanese and Polish foreign policies towards

strategic alignment.