1 TСО Suаalki żap – NATO's ПraРilО Сot spot Leszek Elak 1 , Zdzisław Śliwa 2 1. Akademia Obrony Narodowej w Warszawie, 2. Baltic Defence College, Tartu, Estonia GICID: 01.3001.0009.5504 Wydanie: 2016; 103 (2) Abstract The so called Suwalki Gap has been lately among important regional security related topics and it has been linked with its geostrategic location and geographical complexity of the terrain for conducting military operations. The threat toward Baltic states cause it to be discussed widely by civilian and military authorities, especially in the context of destabilizing Ukraine and annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation and possible assertive actions. The paper proposes an approach to the Suwalki Gap issue based on its geostrategic location and operational importance. It includes also its geographical characteristic connected with conducting military operations in that specific terrain. It furthers the discussion of tactical aspects of defensive and offensive operations there. The outcome of the NATO Warsaw Summit is also discussed in the context of Suwalki Gap as a land bridge linking Baltic states with the NATO allies. Introduction The destabilization of Ukraine, linked with the political and military involvement of the Russian Federation to underpin separatists in Crimea, the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, proved to have siРniПiМant intОrnational rОpОrМussions. It Сas bООn ПolloаОН bв a still onРoinР ‘СвbriН аar’ tСat inМluНОН annexation of Crimea and war in the east Ukraine. Those events were a consequence of UkrainО’s decision to enhance cooperation with the European Union, NATO and especially with the US. At the same time, the Russian intervention has been an attempt to rebuild its influence and domination over former Soviet republics as part of a desire to make the country a global player again. The current situation is also an endeavor to destabilize tСО intОrnational sОМuritв sвstОm bв МСallОnРinР NATO’s rolО as a militarв poаОr. As an ОППОМt, tСО KrОmlin’s assОrtivО poliМв is siРniПiМantlв violatinР sОМuritв systems of NATO nations, especially for such nations as Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. Poland has a rather important location in that context, as the country is located in central Europe between two historically expansionist nations and neighboring Ukraine, which is still building its identity and governance. Being such a critical and natural land bridge, Poland must re-evaluate its political and military focus. As an effect of the Schengen Treaty, European borders have been more open, enabling unconventional threats to rise using such options as uncontrolled migration, flow of weapons and terrorists, more freedom for organized МrimО anН possiblО movОmОnt oП ‘littlО РrООn mОn’. All oП tСОsО МoulН bО part oП ‘СвbriН’ tСrОats [1], which could come from the East towards the Baltic States and later to Poland and the West using all available routes. The military conflict in Ukraine makes it clear that Polish and European Union security in general must be enhanced, as just a thousand kilometers from the border there is a real conflict and Europe has so far been powerless to stop it. The same situation could happen in the Baltic region, which is very fragile and geographically isolated especially in the land domain. As a result, the security and unity of NATO nations is linked with cohesion in all dimensions. The land is connected with the Suwalki Gap and an important factor for Russia as a land