Poland to raise defence spending to EUR 46.8 bln in 2026 - defence minister
Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz has said that Poland will spend PLN 200 billion (EUR 46.8 bln) on defence next year amid the mounting threat from Russia.
On Monday, Kosiniak-Kamysz took part in the Warsaw Security Forum, two-day international conference dedicated to European and global security, attended by politicians, military officials and security experts from 80 countries.
Addressing the event, he referred to the incidents on the night of September 9-10 and the following days, when Russian drones intruded into Polish airspace, and then, Russian fighter jets briefly violated Estonian airspace, arguing that effective anti-drone defence is crucial in the face of the growing threat from Russia.
He spoke about the need to increase the air-defence capabilities of Poland and NATO's eastern flank, including the so-called anti-drone wall along the eastern border of the EU and NATO, co-financed by the EU.
"Recent violations of Polish, Romanian, and Estonian airspace are clear evidence that Russia is testing our boundaries," Kosiniak-Kamysz said. "The Kremlin's aggressive policies pose a real and direct threat to European security, and we know that Russia's goals are not limited to Ukraine," he added.
Poland's response is its continued increase in defence spending, Kosiniak-Kamysz said, citing a draft budget for next year "which allocates PLN 200 billion for this purpose, which is expected to translate into 4.8 percent of GDP", the highest level in NATO.
He added that around PLN 187 billion (EUR 43.8 bln) or 4.7 percent of GDP had been planned on defence in 2025, "although it remains unclear whether this goal will be achieved by the end of the year." (PAP)
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