Warsaw has reaffirmed its support for Donald Trump’s demand that NATO member states increase their military spending to five percent of their gross domestic product. According to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the EU should welcome Trump’s call, rather than rejecting it.
During his presidential campaign, Trump had announced that he would only protect NATO member states that meet the two-percent goal. However, two weeks ago, Trump stated that NATO member states in Europe should increase their military spending to five percent of their gross domestic product. “They can all afford it” Trump said at a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on January 7.
As of January 1, 2025, Poland has taken over the EU presidency from Hungary, with a six-month term under the motto “Security in Europe!” The Polish government plans to focus on security and defense during its presidency. “In Europe, we should not be irritated by such hints” Tusk said in his speech before the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday.
According to Tusk, Trump’s demand aims to encourage Europe to take more responsibility for its own security, rather than relying on protection from its US allies. “We should see this as a positive challenge. I would like to say that only a partner wishes his partner to be stronger” Tusk added.
During his speech at the EU Parliament on Wednesday, in which Tusk presented Poland’s priorities during its presidency, he emphasized the need to strengthen the military security of the Union. “If Europe is to survive, it must be armed” Tusk said, adding that the geopolitical circumstances require it.
Poland, with a planned 4.7 percent of its budget for the military, has the highest defense expenditures among all NATO member states. The planned sum is around 186 billion Złoty, equivalent to approximately 43.6 billion euros.
Tusk has called on EU member states not to underestimate the demand for the five-percent goal. “Today, it is the right time for national states, as NATO member states, as the European Union, to clearly spend more money on defense” he said.