Polish Premier claims EU stronger than Russia
Date
1/19/2025 7:17:30 AM
(MENAFN) Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has emphasized the EU's superior strength compared to Russia, urging NATO member states to boost their defense budgets to effectively counter Moscow. During a joint press conference in Warsaw with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Tusk stated that Europe outmatches Russia in every dimension, highlighting that if all NATO countries spent as much on defense as Poland, the alliance would spend ten times more than Russia.
Tusk pointed out that while NATO's defense spending target is set at 2% of GDP, many countries struggle to meet this goal. Poland, on the other hand, is aiming to spend 4.7% of its GDP on defense in 2025, the highest percentage in NATO. Tusk’s comments followed US President-elect Donald Trump’s suggestion that NATO members should allocate 5% of their GDP to defense, noting that European countries, despite being more affected by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, still spend only a fraction of what the U.S. invests in defense.
Responding to Trump's call, Tusk expressed confidence that the new U.S. administration would adopt a more optimistic approach toward Ukraine once it sees NATO’s commitment to defense spending. Poland, which holds the EU rotating presidency, is committed to fast-tracking Ukraine’s integration into the bloc.
The push for increased defense spending has sparked debate, with some EU officials, including German Economy Minister Robert Habeck, calling the 5% target "unrealistic." Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Grushko warned that NATO’s current trajectory could lead to war with Russia, undermining regional security.
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