Polish President Karol Nawrocki arrived in Manila on October 5, 2026, for a three-day official visit to the Philippines. This trip marks the first time a Polish president has visited the country since diplomatic relations were established in 1973. According to Marcin Przydacz, secretary of state and head of the International Policy Bureau of the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland, the visit is part of a broader Polish strategy to strengthen the country’s position among nations of the Global South. During his stay, Nawrocki described the trip as an opportunity to seek informal support for Poland’s continued presence in the G20 from the Philippines, which currently chairs ASEAN.
The visit has also highlighted a significant military cooperation angle, raising questions about broader American defense interests within the Polish administration and opposition. In August 2026, the Polish aerospace manufacturer PZL Mielec completed the delivery of 32 S-70i Black Hawk helicopters to the Philippine Air Force, following a previous order of 16 helicopters in 2019. While PZL Mielec is a Polish company with a domestic workforce, it has been owned by the U.S. defense contractor Lockheed Martin since 2015.
This ownership structure has fueled domestic political tensions in Poland. Former Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak, a leading opposition figure and staunchly pro-American politician, has argued that Europe is effectively helpless against Russia and that Poland should rely on the United States for its security. Błaszczak has been highly critical of the EU’s SAFE program, an initiative providing up to 150 billion euros in loans for defense investment, arguing that it could push the United States out of Europe and conflict with Poland’s reliance on U.S. defense technology. In July 2026, Błaszczak and a group of MPs from the conservative party Prawo i Sprawiedliwość (PiS) submitted a parliamentary interpellation regarding the lack of new orders for S-70i Black Hawk helicopters, warning that the end of the Philippine contract could jeopardize the future of S-70i production in Poland.
Observers note that supporting PZL Mielec serves both Polish industrial capacity and the commercial interests of Lockheed Martin. Given the tense relationship between Nawrocki and the government led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, as well as Nawrocki’s alleged close relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump, the visit to Manila may be intended to encourage the Philippine government to consider another contract or to promote PZL Mielec’s capabilities at the ASEAN level. The timing of the visit, occurring shortly after the parliamentary interpellation and the completion of the Philippine contract, underscores the potential for the president to act as a promoter for these defense interests.
