Poland wants EU nations to increase defence spending

WARSAW: Poland Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz advised AFP on Thursday (Feb 19) that European allies – particularly Italy, France and Spain – wanted to speculate extra of their widespread safety. 

“I would love Spain to heed this name, I would love Italy and France to listen to it much more strongly, this name to extend defence spending, as Poland, Germany and the Scandinavian nations have finished,” Kosiniak-Kamysz stated in an interview. 

“The extra Europe invests, the extra significantly and respectfully America will deal with us in these areas,” he added. 

The NATO and EU member, which borders Russia and its shut ally Belarus, has closely ramped up its defence spending for the reason that 2022 invasion of Ukraine. 

It’s NATO’s largest spender in proportion phrases, allocating 4.8 per cent of its GDP to defence in its 2026 funds. At a summit final yr, NATO members agreed to extend defence spending from two per cent to 5 per cent by 2035. 

France spent 2.05 per cent of its GDP on defence in 2025 – simply over NATO’s outdated goal – whereas Italy spent 2.01 per cent, and Spain 2 per cent. 

“It’s nonetheless far too little; we have to do extra, sooner, and extra forcefully,” the Polish minister burdened within the interview with AFP, which was performed along with the German company DPA and the Polish company PAP.

However, Kosiniak-Kamysz emphasised the shut cooperation he and the Polish authorities shared with its European allies.