Poland’s President Andrzej Duda urged NATO members to increase their defense spending to 3% of their GDP in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Associated Press reports.
Duda’s call came ahead of his visit to the White House, emphasizing the need for bold action as NATO marks the 25th anniversary of Poland’s accession to the alliance. He stressed the importance of NATO’s role in ensuring security, especially in light of the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Despite Poland’s robust defense spending at 4% of its GDP, most NATO members fall short of the 2% spending target agreed upon in 2014. Duda stressed the importance of all members contributing adequately to collective security and countering Russia’s militarization and imperialistic ambitions.
The Biden administration viewed Duda’s proposal as ambitious, but emphasized the need for countries to first meet the existing 2% threshold.
