Polish PM names condition for Europe's survival in new world order
Photo: Donald Tusk (Getty Images)
The European Union must arm itself to survive in an increasingly uncertain world order. Military spending should be radically increased, according to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
“If Europe wants to survive, it has to be armed. There is no alternative — Europe must start defending itself and therefore it must start spending European money on defense,” Tusk said at a session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
The Polish leader's comments came as Russia's war with Ukraine approaches the three-year mark. US President Donald Trump, who took office this week, has also increased his spending demands on NATO allies, saying he expects at least 5% of the economy to be spent on defense - more than double the alliance's current benchmark of 2%.
Tusk said the EU must be flexible, creative, and decisive to radically increase military spending to protect itself from potential missile threats - and to build up defenses along its eastern border. Poland has made strengthening security a top priority of its six-month rotating EU presidency, which runs through June.
In Strasbourg, Tusk said that the world's largest trading bloc of nearly 450 million people is going through a period of disorientation and a crisis of spirit as Trump's return casts doubt on the future of the US involvement in strengthening the continent's security. He called on European countries to shoulder more of the burden, paraphrasing both former US President John F. Kennedy and Trump.
“Ask not what America can do for Europe and its security - ask what we ourselves can do for it,” Tusk said. “Europe was, is, and will always be great.”
EU countries, led by Germany, have so far rejected calls to use the common debt to finance defense spending, although with Trump back in the White House, pressure is growing to implement such plans.
Existential danger
EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said during an event at the European Defense Agency “In these times of existential danger, we should not limit our defenses to match our finances. It’s the other way round: we need to mobilize our finances to match our defense needs.”
Kaja Kallas, the bloc's top diplomat, said at the same event in Brussels that after developing strategic documents and roadmaps, “it’s time we move beyond to more missiles, tanks, and ships.”
Poland has allocated a record PLN 186.6 billion ($46 billion) for defense in 2024, or 4.7% of GDP.
