Polish President Duda: NATO members must commit to higher military spending Meloni’s party wins regional elections in Abruzzo

Polish President Andrzej Duda wants NATO to oblige its members to higher defense spending in the future.

During his upcoming visit to the White House, he will propose that the alliance should set its future military spending target at three percent of gross domestic product per year, Duda said Monday in Warsaw at a meeting of the National Security Council. “This must be the line that should not be crossed under any circumstances.”

NATO’s current defense spending target requires alliance members to invest at least two percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) in defense annually. This was decided last summer, despite threats from Russia.

The previously valid target only stipulated that all alliance states had to approach the benchmark of spending at least two percent of their GDP on defense by 2024.

Duda and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk are expected in Washington on Tuesday for talks with US President Joe Biden. The official occasion is the 25th anniversary of Poland’s accession to NATO.

Poland is a close ally of the US and one of the most committed political and military supporters of Russia-attacked Ukraine. The country feels threatened by Russia and is currently rearming itself en masse. According to NATO figures, Poland spent 3.9 percent of its gross domestic product on defense last year. (rbu/sda/dpa)