“Safe Poland derives from military, defence security, but it is only possible on the basis of secure finances”, said Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki during a visit to PZL-Świdnik, which has produced and delivered more than 7,400 helicopters to customers in more than 40 countries around the world.

‘The Polish army must be based on state-of-the-art technology and must be effective’, Prime Minister Morawiecki argued, adding that in the shadow of Russian aggression, the expansion and modernisation of the Polish army is one of the government’s priorities.

The Polish government has significantly accelerated the increase in military expenditures. In 2023, it will be 3% of GDP. This means nearly PLN 98 billion will be allocated to the development of the Polish army. In addition, Poland will allocate between PLN 30 and 40 billion for arms purchases.

The head of government pointed out that Polish weapons are proving their effectiveness today in Ukraine. These are weapons produced using budget money. He also recalled the old maxim that three things are needed to modernise the army: money, money and more money.

“There is no strong state without a strong army. But a strong army can only grow on the foundations of a financially strong Polish state. Such as we are currently building”, stressed the Prime Minister.

Since 2015, the number of soldiers in the Polish Armed Forces has increased from 95,000 to more than 140,000. Due to the war in Ukraine, the government promises to increase this number to around 300,000 soldiers. This will include around 250,000 professional soldiers and around 50,000 soldiers of the Territorial Defence Forces.

At the end of 2022, Poland’s defence expenditure will reach 2.4% of GDP, which is well above NATO’s minimum requirements (2% of GDP). This puts Poland among the leaders of the North Atlantic Alliance in terms of defence spending.

Adrian Andrzejewski