WARSAW

The leaders of France and Poland are set to sign a treaty Friday aimed at extending French nuclear deterrence over central Europe, Polish media reported.

“The provision in the treaty with France obliges both countries to provide each other with assistance, including military assistance, in the event of a threat,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said in Warsaw.

“As of today, Poland is in a much better position than at any other time in history,” he added.

Tusk noted that this will be the first time France signs such a treaty with a country it does not border.

“For me, the most important issue was the mutual security guarantees. The clause on mutual support in the event of an attack is the essence of this treaty from the point of view of Polish interests,” said Tusk.

He added that the agreement “will close a certain buckle,” symbolically linking Poland and France.

“We will be signing this treaty in a very Polish city in France, in Nancy. We deliberately chose this place, which connects the history of both nations in a deeply rooted way and takes place on Europe Day,” he said. “This treaty opens up a lot of opportunities in various areas.”

While strengthening ties with France, Warsaw is also seeking to deepen its security partnership with the US. Poland is pushing to join NATO’s nuclear sharing program, under which European allies host US nuclear weapons and maintain delivery aircraft.