Polish Business Should Help Bolster Defense Against Russian Threat, Says Leading Entrepreneur

Rafał Brzoska, founder of InPost and head of the Polish Entrepreneurs’ Council Rafał Brzoska, founder of InPost and head of the [+]Polish Entrepreneurs’ Council, at a press conference in Warsaw, Poland on May 30, 2022. (Photo by Mateusz Wlodarczyk/NurPhoto via Getty Images) NurPhoto via Getty Images Polish businesses should play a more active role in building defense capabilities to stave off potential Russian aggression, according to Rafał Brzoska, head of the Polish Entrepreneurs’ Council and founder of InPost, the country’s largest courier service company.

Brzoska said private companies could organize armed units “faster, cheaper, and more efficiently” than public authorities, and that their geographical dispersion would ensure they could rapidly respond to threats across the country.

With appropriate regulations and incentives, such as tax breaks, businesses could equip employees with weapons, bulletproof vests, and uniforms, in an approach modelled on the Finnish system, where trained citizens can retrieve weapons from local armories workplaces in case of military threat.

Brzoska said InPost would distribute a survey among its 15,000 employees to find out how many of them already own guns and who would be interested in applying for permits and participating in training. He added that similar surveys would be conducted in several thousand companies associated with employer organizations.

According to media reports, the Ministry of Defence welcomed the proposals. However, it did not respond to a request for comment by publication time.

In late June, the heads of three main entrepreneur associations, which include 80% of the largest Polish businesses—both private and state-majority-owned firms—called on the Ministry of Defense to work together to develop solutions that would strengthen the country's defense potential.

The signatories of the appeal advocated the creation of a support fund, co-financed by the private sector and the state, for companies operating along Poland’s fraught border with Belarus. They suggested introducing insurance programs for the businesses, as they may might be the first to face direct threats in the event of a military escalation.

The business leaders noted that the existing regulations supporting companies that employ reservists are insufficient and proposed implementing a mechanism for awarding them additional points in public tenders, among other measures.

They also suggested considering a range of tax incentives for various defense-related expenditures, such as the purchase of weapons, defensive equipment, and training.

The letter included calls for enhanced cybersecurity, increasing trade with trusted allies, and maintaining a united front on sanctions against Russia.

The appeal was part of a broader European initiative that included business representatives from Scandinavian, Baltic, and Central and Eastern European countries.

Poland has been one of NATO’s and Ukraine’s key allies in confronting Russian aggression. The country has supplied Kyiv with 44 military aid packages since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, totaling over $4 billion, without restrictions on its use.

In May, Warsaw announced plans to form a volunteer unit of draft-age Ukrainians living in Poland, to be deployed in their home country. Over 23,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been trained in Poland since February 2022.