WARSAW: Poland’s President Andrzej Duda said on Tuesday the NATO member plans to spend more than 4% of its gross domestic production on defence next year amid security concerns over the war in Ukraine.
He announced the amount of 137 billion zloty (33 billion dollars) at the opening of this year’s edition of the biggest trade fair for military equipment in the region, the MSPO in Kielce, Poland.
Duda said that when Poland sees the emerging danger beyond its eastern border, it knows perfectly well that any price is worth paying to ensure the country is free, independent, and sovereign, and that Poles can live in safety, according to AFP.
He said that next year, Poland is planning to spend 137 billion zloty on defence. That is more than 4% of its GDP.
That is a hike on the 4% of GDP Poland had vowed to spend on defence this year and much more than the 2% agreed by NATO allies.
Poland has shown itself to be a major ally of Ukraine ever since Moscow’s invasion last year.
Poland Sunds Alarms
More recently, Poland has also been sounding the alarm on threats that it says its other neighbour country to the east — Belarus — poses, warning against provocations, particularly involving the Wagner mercenary group currently based there.
Warsaw has inked multiple arms agreements, including with the US and South Korea, from whom it ordered K2 “Black Panther” tanks and K9 howitzers.
