Poland will allocate approximately 4.8% of the country’s GDP to defense due to a potential direct confrontation with Russia in the coming years.
Polish military / © Associated Press
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Poland plans to spend billions on military needs to deter Russia from direct confrontation with NATO.
This is reported by the National Post.
Where EU funds will be spent
As part of key defense expenditures coming from European Union credit, Warsaw is investing nearly 44 billion euros (71 billion dollars) in strengthening its military infrastructure against the backdrop of the Russian threat.
The publication notes that interceptions of Russian aircraft over the Baltic, cyberattacks on Polish railways and hospitals, as well as drones and missiles crossing Poland’s borders, have convinced Polish politicians not to postpone potential deterrence of the Russian Federation for future budgets.
Poland is becoming the largest single beneficiary of the defense budget of the “Security Action for Europe” (SAFE) program, worth 150 billion euros. The funds are intended for:
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modernization of the army,
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expansion of the domestic arms sector,
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rewarding Polish firms collaborating with defense product manufacturers.
Approximately 4.8% of the country’s GDP will be allocated to defense.
Poland warns allies about Russia’s plans to seize new territories
Dominik Roszak, President of the Canadian Polish Congress and Head of Stakeholder Relations for the 2023 Warsaw Security Forum, noted that Poland has long warned Europe about Russia’s “expansionist ambitions.”
“Poland considers itself a guarantor of regional security along the eastern border of the EU and NATO, including the more vulnerable Baltic states. I share the opinion that a strong and effective army is the only way to deter Russia from direct confrontation with NATO,” he said.
Poland prepares for war with the Russian Federation within the next five years
According to Roszak, Poland’s defense spending plans include the possibility of confrontation with Russia within the next five years. He added that by the end of May, the Polish Minister of Defense had already confirmed the signing of 50 contracts within the SAFE program worth about 120 billion zlotys.
He acknowledged that there is a risk that Russia might preemptively move towards escalation even before Poland achieves military readiness.
“NATO’s resolve is the greatest deterrent to the expansion of the current conflict to the West,” Roszak said.
He believes that the success of the program will be a “strong and sovereign Ukraine, as stability in eastern Poland is inseparable from Poland itself.”
Threat of Russian attack on NATO – latest news
It is worth recalling that Poland, Finland, and Lithuania may deploy additional non-strategic American nuclear weapons in Europe due to growing threats from Russia. This decision is being discussed within NATO. Moreover, experts do not rule out that the US may have already transferred modernized B-61-12 aerial bombs to the British airbase Lakenheath.
The Polish Ministry of Defense assures that Putin is not currently preparing for a full-scale invasion, but the Kremlin continues to escalate its actions.
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