Polish president Andrzej Duda calls on NATO members to raise defence spending to 3% of GDP
Warsaw is pressuring different NATO members to take a position extra in countering Russia’s struggle economic system.
Poland’s President Andrzej Duda has referred to as on NATO members to lift their spending on defence to three% of their GDP, saying the alliance should do extra to match Russia’s efforts to extend its personal navy spending because the struggle in Ukraine continues.
Duda’s remarks have been directed each at dwelling, in Poland, and overseas, to NATO’s fellow European members. They got here proper earlier than he and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk visited Washington to mark the twenty fifth anniversary of Poland’s accession to NATO.
Poland joined the alliance on March 12, 1999, along with the Czech Republic and Hungary.
“Poland is proud to have been part of it for 25 years,” Duda stated in a Monday night handle to his nation. “There was and there’s no higher guarantor of safety than the North Atlantic Alliance.”
‘Larger duty’
The Polish president stated that because the struggle in Ukraine enters its third 12 months, NATO nations ought to take “better duty for the safety of all the alliance and intensively modernise and strengthen their troops”.
“Within the face of the struggle in Ukraine and Russia’s rising imperial aspirations, the nations making up NATO should act boldly and uncompromisingly,” he added.
On Monday, NATO raised the flag of its thirty second member, Sweden, on the NATO headquarters in Brussels. Finland joined the alliance final 12 months.
“Right now, NATO is sending a transparent and robust sign by welcoming Finland and Sweden into its ranks,” Duda stated on Monday. “This can be a historic occasion. Nations which have to date maintained a impartial standing for years are becoming a member of the alliance. NATO is subsequently considerably strengthened. Nonetheless, additional daring choices are wanted.”
‘Main by instance’
Whereas NATO members agreed to extend their defence spending to 2% of GDP following Russia’s annexation of Crimea that very same 12 months, most members nonetheless fall in need of that benchmark.
Poland, alternatively, spends 4% of its GDP on defence, making it the member to spend probably the most in proportion phrases because it modernised its navy, whereas the U.S. is properly above 3%.
Duda stated that the 2 nations’ efforts put the US and Poland ready to “lead by instance and supply an inspiration for others.”
“The Russian Federation has switched its economic system to struggle mode. It’s allocating near 30% of its annual finances to arm itself,” Duda argued in an op-ed revealed within the Washington Publish on Monday.
“This determine and different knowledge popping out of Russia are alarming. Vladimir Putin’s regime poses the most important menace to world peace for the reason that finish of the Chilly Struggle.”
The Biden administration has steered Duda’s objective of three% for all NATO members is likely to be overly formidable, at the least for now.