(Dan Tri) – Polish President Andrzej Duda said on March 18 that NATO must urgently increase defense spending to ensure that the country does not become the next target of Russia’s attack.
Modern weapons and equipment have been and will be put into service with the Polish army (Illustration: Armed Forces Zone).
`Alarm bells are ringing`
Speaking to CNBC, Polish President Andrzej Duda reiterated his call for NATO members to increase their military contributions to 3%, amid new reports that Moscow may be ready to target the alliance
Mr. Duda warned that there is new evidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin is doubling down on the shift to a war economy in order to attack NATO in 2026 or 2027. His comments were made
On the contrary, in his federal message on February 29, President Putin once again rejected speculation by the US and its allies that Russia could target NATO countries.
President Duda told CNBC on March 18: `Alarm bells are ringing.`
`We have two or three years where we can ramp up our efforts, stockpile ammunition and produce weapons to maximize European security, be prepared and make sure an attack doesn’t happen,` he said.
`All of this needs to be done to avoid having to engage in a war. The point is to create a deterrent to ensure we are not attacked. This is the problem because no one in
Polish President Andrzej Duda (Photo: Getty).
Poland strengthens its defense potential
The president of Poland, which shares a land border with Ukraine, has led calls to supply weapons to Kiev since the full-blown Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out.
Poland has also beefed up its defense capabilities, increasing defense spending by 2023 to nearly 4% of gross domestic product (GDP) – even higher than the US in percentage terms.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that the US House of Representatives’ failure to pass a $60 billion aid package for Ukraine could put `thousands of lives` in danger and further strengthen Russia’s attack in
`This Russian aggression must be stopped at all costs. If it is not stopped, it will spread and then I am afraid that American money will not be enough to stop Russia, American soldiers will have to step in and no one wants that.`
In early February this year, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak confirmed plans to expand the armed forces to 220,000 people by the end of 2024, citing concerns about regional security.
Currently, the Polish army has about 200,000 soldiers, including 148,000 professional soldiers.
According to the `Global Military Power Ranking 2024` compiled and voted by Global Firepower, Poland ranks 21st in the world (USA ranks 1st and Russia ranks 2nd) out of 145 countries listed in the list.
The Polish army’s arsenal includes: 468 aircraft, including 59 fighters and 34 attack aircraft;
In September 2023, then-Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak announced that the country would have the strongest land army in Europe by 2026.
`Within two years, the Polish Army will have the strongest land army and one of the most important elements of the land army will
Accordingly, Warsaw signed deals with the US worth 6 billion USD to buy 350 M1 Abrams tanks and 96 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters worth 12 billion USD, making this country a country that owns many helicopters.
Poland has also signed a framework agreement with the US government on the supply of 486 HIMARS long-range artillery and missile launchers, with deliveries starting at the end of 2025. Integration of US HIMARS launchers with other systems
In 2022, the Polish Ministry of Defense signed an agreement with South Korea, according to which Poland will receive 288 K239 Chunmoo rocket artillery complexes, 48 FA-50 fighter jets, 180 K2 Black Panther tanks and one
Poland has been an official member of NATO since 1999.
