2024-04-23 21:34 update: 2024-04-24, 21:19
Donald Tusk, Rishi Sunak, Jens Stoltenberg. Photo PAP/Paweł Supernak
Donald Tusk, the Polish prime minister, discussed security issues in Warsaw on Tuesday with Rishi Sunak, his British counterpart, and Jens Stoltenberg, the Nato chief.
Following his private meeting with the British prime minister, Tusk informed the press that the primary focus of their discussion revolved around security – "the security of Poland, Great Britain and Europe" – due to the ongoing Russian war against Ukraine.
Tusk portrayed the strong collaboration and coordinated efforts between Great Britain and Poland as a testament to their effective partnership, crediting Sunak for his personal involvement.
Discussing plans to enhance their cooperation within existing defence frameworks, Tusk expressed his satisfaction with the progress made under the European Sky Shield Initiative, a pan-European air defence project promoted by Germany.
"Cooperation between Poland and Great Britain can and will be - I am convinced of this - an exemplary model for other partners, as well," he said.
Tusk further mentioned that he and Sunak also discussed security issues in their conversations with the Nato secretary general.
"There is no doubt that from these various initiatives in which both countries are active, the immediate development of a synchronised security policy must emerge immediately, one that will embrace the entire continent and Great Britain," he said.
"Our shared goal is to bring an end to the era of competition and rivalry in the different defence initiatives for Europe and the United Kingdom.
"We also need to encourage all our partners to more fully coordinate systems, equipment and security policies, so that there are more effective actions taken and fewer conferences, words, formats and political initiatives," he concluded.
Earlier in the day, Sunak announced that Britain would raise its defence spending to 2.5 percent of the country's GDP by 2030 from about 2.3 percent today. He also announced a new package of military support for Ukraine worth GBP 500 million, raising total Ukraine support for this financial year to GBP 3 billion. (PAP)
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