“NATO urgently needs to boost its defence spending to avoid becoming the next target of a Russian attack”, President Andrzej Duda said in an interview with US broadcaster CNBC. In an interview with Steve Sedgwick, the Polish President again called on NATO members to increase their defence spending to 3% of GDP.

‘It’s a matter of common sense,’ Andrzej Duda stressed. He noted that more reports are emerging, such as a report by German experts who say that within a few years, perhaps as early as 2026, as early as 2027, Putin, as a result of switching Russian industry to war economy, will regain such a military capability to attack NATO.

“In that case, the alarm bells are ringing. We have two or three years to intensify our efforts, stockpile ammunition, and produce weapons to maximize European security and ensure that an invasion does not occur”, he stressed, adding that “all this should be done in order not to fight”.

“The point is to create a deterrent strong enough to prevent an attack, as none of the alliance members desire war” added President Andrzej Duda.

In the interview, he recalled that he presented a proposal to raise spending levels in the Alliance during his visit to Washington last week: both in talks at the White House and in Congress with Republican and Democratic representatives.

“Every dollar contributed to support of Ukraine, every Bradley, every piece of weaponry, every box of artillery ammunition donated to Ukraine, moves the prospect of a Russian victory away”, he argued. As he said, “it is true that the United States helps the most, but if there is an opportunity for the United States to support Ukraine further, I ask to do it, because it is needed for the security of the world”, added Andrzej Duda.

Adrian Andrzejewski