Polish PM Says EU is Stronger Than Russia
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has indicated that the NATO defense budget could notably exceed that of Russia if member states increase their spending. Read the full article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has emphasized the need for NATO members to increase their defense spending to effectively counter Russia. He stated that the European Union is stronger than Russia and called on NATO member states to enhance their military expenditures.
Tusk’s comments came during a joint press conference in Warsaw with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky. “Europe is stronger than Russia in every dimension,” Tusk remarked, noting that if all NATO countries matched Poland's defense spending, “we would be spending ten times more than Russia.”
Currently, NATO has established a defense spending guideline of 2% of GDP, a target that many member nations find challenging to meet. Poland aims to allocate 4.7% of its GDP to defense this year, making it the highest spender in NATO.
Recently, US President-elect Donald Trump suggested that NATO allies should aim for 5% of GDP in defense spending. He pointed out that European members spend “only a tiny fraction” of what the United States devotes to defense, despite being more directly affected by the ongoing conflict between Moscow and Kiev.
In response to Trump’s assertions, Tusk remarked that “the new Washington administration, once it sees how serious we are about this, will adopt a different approach, a more optimistic approach towards Ukraine,” indicating his willingness to work towards resolving the Ukraine crisis.
Poland has been a leading supporter of Ukraine since the conflict escalated, and with Tusk at the helm during Poland's EU rotating presidency, he has committed to using Warsaw’s leadership to facilitate Ukraine's integration into the EU.
Trump’s call for increased defense budgets has garnered mixed responses, with some EU officials raising concerns regarding its economic viability. German Economy Minister Robert Habeck, running as the Green Party’s candidate for chancellor in the upcoming snap elections, referred to the 5% target as “unrealistic.”
Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Grushko has recently cautioned that NATO appears to be preparing for confrontation with Moscow, claiming that the current trajectory of the alliance poses threats both to Russia and the overarching security framework.
Allen M Lee for TROIB News
Tusk’s comments came during a joint press conference in Warsaw with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky. “Europe is stronger than Russia in every dimension,” Tusk remarked, noting that if all NATO countries matched Poland's defense spending, “we would be spending ten times more than Russia.”
Currently, NATO has established a defense spending guideline of 2% of GDP, a target that many member nations find challenging to meet. Poland aims to allocate 4.7% of its GDP to defense this year, making it the highest spender in NATO.
Recently, US President-elect Donald Trump suggested that NATO allies should aim for 5% of GDP in defense spending. He pointed out that European members spend “only a tiny fraction” of what the United States devotes to defense, despite being more directly affected by the ongoing conflict between Moscow and Kiev.
In response to Trump’s assertions, Tusk remarked that “the new Washington administration, once it sees how serious we are about this, will adopt a different approach, a more optimistic approach towards Ukraine,” indicating his willingness to work towards resolving the Ukraine crisis.
Poland has been a leading supporter of Ukraine since the conflict escalated, and with Tusk at the helm during Poland's EU rotating presidency, he has committed to using Warsaw’s leadership to facilitate Ukraine's integration into the EU.
Trump’s call for increased defense budgets has garnered mixed responses, with some EU officials raising concerns regarding its economic viability. German Economy Minister Robert Habeck, running as the Green Party’s candidate for chancellor in the upcoming snap elections, referred to the 5% target as “unrealistic.”
Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Grushko has recently cautioned that NATO appears to be preparing for confrontation with Moscow, claiming that the current trajectory of the alliance poses threats both to Russia and the overarching security framework.
Allen M Lee for TROIB News
