The president of the Republic of Poland, Andrzej Duda, paid a working visit to Belgium, where he met General Secretary of the Alliance, Mark Rutte, at the NATO office in Brussels.
During a joint press conference after the talks, president Duda stressed the importance of Poland's membership of NATO, noting the 26th anniversary of the country's accession to the Alliance. He described the event as 1 of the most crucial since 1989, erstwhile Poland left the “iron curtain” sphere of influence. In the face of changing safety architecture in Central and east Europe, the president noted that NATO membership is crucial for Poles.
President Duda pointed out that Poland is presently spending the most on defence in relation to its GDP among all NATO countries. In 2025, expenditure is expected to scope 4.7% of GDP, the highest level among the Alliance countries. He emphasized that Poles accept these expenditures, noticing the real threat from the rebirth of Russian imperialism.
The president besides called on the remaining NATO members to increase their efforts to defend themselves, informing that the deficiency of adequate deterrence could lead Vladimir Putin to further aggressive actions. He recalled that a year earlier, during a gathering with US president Joe Biden on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Poland's NATO membership, he proposed that the Alliance countries should devote at least 3% of GDP to defence. The proposal was then met with a cool reception and was not discussed at the NATO Summit.
President Duda so made a written request to Mark Rutte to rise the issue at the forthcoming Hague Summit, stressing the request for immediate action to increase defence spending. He pointed out that the restoration of defence possible was a major task for both Poland and NATO, which was 1 of the main topics of the talks with the Secretary-General of the Alliance.
President Duda's visit to Belgium was an crucial component in strengthening cooperation within NATO and highlighting Poland's function as an active associate of the Alliance, active in ensuring safety in the region of Central and east Europe.
