Duda calls for immediate increase in NATO defence spending
Polish President Andrzej Duda has urged NATO member states to immediately increase their defence spending to 3 percent of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The call came following a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Thursday, during which Duda submitted a formal request for the matter to be addressed at the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague.
"One thing is 100-percent certain. If the entire North Atlantic Alliance does not increase its defence spending, then, unfortunately (Russian President - PAP) Vladimir Putin may be tempted to attack again because there will not be a sufficient deterrent," the president said during his visit to Belgium.
He added that NATO's goal was to build a sufficient deterrence capability to ensure that "not only Russia, but no one else attacks NATO countries."
"Decisions in this regard must be made swiftly and effectively, and we must prioritise the task of revitalising our military capabilities," he remarked.
Rutte affirmed that transatlantic relations continue to serve as "the bedrock" of the alliance and that US President Donald Trump has made his commitment to NATO clear, but he also expressed his expectations that Europe must increase its contributions to defense spending. (PAP)
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