Poland, long considered a Central European country, is increasingly looking towards the Baltic Sea. Warsaw has made a geopolitical shift in recent years in the face of the growing threat from Russia. and the divisions within the Visegrad Group – the alliance made up of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary – over the war in Ukraine. "The Baltic is key to Poland's security, so it must return to a sea of red and white," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said in early October, evoking the colors of the Polish flag.

In the digital age, it's easy to think that communications depend on satellites, but the reality is different: 99% of global telecommunications traffic travels through a kilometer-long network of submarine cables. Faster and cheaper than alternatives, these cables are vital for the internet, banking transactions, communications, and electricity transmission.