Polish President Duda urges NATO states to increase defense spending to 3% of GDP

Polish President Andrzej Duda has made a bold proposal to NATO member states, advocating for an increase in defense spending from 2% to 3% of GDP, Rzeczpospolita reported on April 4.

Duda's call comes at a time of heightened concerns over security within the Euro-Atlantic region and aims to fortify NATO's collective defense capabilities.

"I am convinced that this is the basis for the consistent development of security throughout the Euro-Atlantic area," Duda said.

Read also: Poland’s President Duda clarifies his total support for Ukraine’s full sovereignty, including Crimea

“This is a natural and fundamental step that we must take together today, countering the Kremlin's imperial policy.”

Duda also emphasized that his country allocates more than 4% of GDP to the maintenance and modernization of the army, because "Poland, like few other countries in the world, knows that security has a price."

Read also: Estonian Defence Minister supports Trump's NATO spending push

"In 2014, the Alliance countries promised to increase military spending to 2 percent of GDP. This was enough 10 years ago, but now it is no longer enough," the Polish president added.

Russia's possible conflict with NATO - what is known

Bild reported in December 2023, citing its own intelligence sources in a European country, that Russia might try to attack Europe in late 2024 or early 2025, when the United States would be "leaderless" and would be able to come to the aid of European states only after some delay.

Admiral Rob Bauer, Chairman of NATO's Military Committee, said that civilians in the West should prepare for an "all-out war" with Russia.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in January 2024 that Europe was once again "facing a military threat that has not been seen for 30 years" and warned of the possibility of a Russian attack in five to eight years.

Lithuanian Army Commander-in-Chief Valdemaras Rupšys said nonetheless that the possibility that Russia could start a war against NATO next year is extremely low.

U.S. intelligence reported in March that Russia does not want a direct military conflict with the United States and NATO and will continue asymmetric activities, which will not cross the threshold of military conflict on a global scale, according to its estimates.

German intelligence believes that Russia is preparing for a large-scale conflict with NATO and could attack at least part of the Alliance's territory as early as 2026.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said on March 26 that neither the European Union, NATO, nor Spain is preparing for any war, despite the growing threat from Russia. At the same time, the chairman of NATO's Military Committee, Rob Bauer, claims that the Alliance is ready for a potential conflict with Russia.

Read also: EU defense spending soars to new high as 20 states ramped up budgets in 2022

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