Poland announced Friday that it plans to spend 20 billion zlotys ($5.5 billion) to connect its national fuel network to the NATO Central Europe Pipeline System (CEPS), a critical project designed to enhance the security and supply of allied troops in the event of a conflict.

The country's defense ministry and Polish pipeline operator PERN signed a preliminary agreement earlier in the day to proceed with the extension, with Deputy Defence Minister Cezary Tomczyk calling the initiative "one of the largest investments in the security of the Polish state in the last 30 years."

The plan involves the construction of approximately 300 kilometres of new pipelines to tie into the CEPS, an extensive, Cold War-era network that currently transports military-grade fuels across Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.

For Poland, an eastern flank NATO member, the urgency of linking to the CEPS has intensified significantly since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and subsequent drone incursions near its border. 

Poland has long sought this connection to better integrate its supply capabilities with NATO's collective defense structure.

The ambitious project, which is expected to take several years to complete, has already received some initial backing from the alliance. NATO has allocated 60 million zlotys to Poland to support the initial planning and design phases of the investment.

"At the NATO level, the decision regarding the planning and design of this investment has been made," Tomczyk confirmed. The full $5.5 billion commitment underscores Poland's increasing focus on hardening its military infrastructure and bolstering its logistical readiness against regional threats.