Poland is ready to double defence spending to deter Russia: FM
Poland is ready to double its defence spending to deter Russia, the Polish foreign minister has said.
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski.Photo: PAP/Marcin Cholewiński
Speaking in an interview with US broadcaster CNN on Sunday, Sikorski said that Poland was aiming to spend „close to 4 percent of GDP” on defence.
He added that, if Russian President Vladimir Putin „really threatens us,” Poland will „double” its defence spending.
„We will not be a Russian colony again,” Sikorski told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria.
Sikorski also said in the interview that the NATO alliance „is not a contract with a neighborhood security company: you pay and therefore, you protect me.”
He said: „Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, which established NATO, has only been invoked once so far, after 9/11 in defence of the United States.”
He added: „And after the appeal from the United States, we sent troops to Afghanistan. Poland sent a brigade to Ghazni, a tough province. Before that, we sent a brigade to Iraq where we were responsible for protecting 5 million Iraqis. When that mission was accomplished, we did not send an invoice to Washington.”
„Alliances help the United States, not just the allies,” Sikorski remarked.
Asked about a recent statement by former US President Donald Trump suggesting that America would not defend NATO countries that do not spend enough on defence, Sikorski said: „Well, we hope this is just the former president’s flamboyant style, that what he meant was that he really wants us to spend at least 2 percent of GDP on defence and on substance he’s right.”
Sikorski told Zakaria: „Poland has been spending 2 percent for 15 years. We’ve now gone on to … 3 percent of GDP. In fact, we’ll be spending close to 4 percent of GDP. And I’ll tell you more. If needs be, if Putin really threatens us, we will double it because we will not be a Russian colony again.”
(gs)
