Polish President Andrzej Duda urges NATO members to invest in defense

This article was originally published in English

The Polish President Andrzej Duda called on NATO members to increase their defense spending to 3% of their GDP, estimating that alliance needed to do more to meet Russia’s rising military spending as the war in Ukraine continues.

Andrzej Duda’s remarks are addressed as much to his country, Poland, as to other European members of NATO. They were delivered just before he and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk visited Washington to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Poland’s membership in NATO.

Poland joined the Alliance on March 12, 1999, along with the Czech Republic and Hungary.

“Poland is proud to have been part of NATO for 25 years”said Andrzej Duda in a speech on Monday evening. “There has never been and is no better guarantor of security than the North Atlantic Alliance”.

Greater responsibility

As the war in Ukraine enters its third year, the Polish president considers that NATO countries must assume “greater responsibility for the security of the entire alliance and to modernize and strengthen their troops intensively”.

“Faced with the war in Ukraine and Russia’s growing imperial aspirations, NATO member countries must act boldly and without compromise”he adds.

On Monday, NATO raised its flag 32nd member, Sweden, at the organization’s headquarters in Brussels. Finland joined the Alliance last year.

“Today, NATO sends a clear and strong signal by welcoming Finland and Sweden into its ranks”said Andrzej Duda on Monday. “This is a historic event. Countries that have until now maintained a neutral status for years are joining the alliance. NATO is significantly strengthened by this. However, others Bold decisions are necessary”.

Lead by example

Although NATO members decided to increase their defense spending to 2% of GDP following Russia’s annexation of Crimea, most of them still do not reach this benchmark.

Poland, by contrast, currently spends 4% of its GDP on defense – the highest rate among NATO members – to modernize its military. The United States spends around 3.5% of its GDP on defense.

Andrzej Duda considers that the efforts of the two countries put the United States and Poland in a position to “lead by example and be a source of inspiration to others”.

“The Russian Federation has put its economy into “war mode”. It devotes almost 30% of its annual budget to its armaments”adds the Polish president in a column published Monday in the Washington Post.

“This figure and other data from Russia are alarming. Vladimir Putin’s regime poses greatest threat to world peace since the end of the Cold War“.

Joe Biden’s administration, however, has suggested that Andrzej Duda’s 3% target for all NATO members may be too ambitious, at least for now.