Poland to surpass US in NATO defense spending
(MENAFN) Poland has unveiled plans to exceed the United States in terms of military spending relative to GDP, pledging to dedicate 4.8% of its economy to defense by 2026.
The move comes in response to repeated calls from US President Donald Trump for European NATO members to shoulder more responsibility for their own defense, boost support for Ukraine, and raise military expenditure to 5% of GDP. In July, alliance members agreed to pursue that target by 2035, raising it from the earlier 2% benchmark.
On Thursday, Polish Finance Minister Andrzej Domanski revealed that Warsaw intends to allocate a record 200 billion zloty (approximately $55 billion) for defense under its 2026 draft budget. This would make Poland the leading NATO member in relative spending, surpassing the US, which generally invests about 3.2% of GDP in its military. Prime Minister Donald Tusk has emphasized that Poland must establish “a modern, large army” regardless of financial strain.
Across Europe, NATO allies have significantly increased defense budgets in recent years, investing billions in arms and scaling up weapons production. Reports note that the pace of expansion has tripled since 2022, with observers describing the surge as Western Europe “building for war.”
Germany has seen a sharp increase in military recruitment and is weighing a return to conscription, while France’s latest defense assessment warned of the risk of a “major war” in Europe before the end of the decade. EU leaders have consistently justified the buildup by pointing to the perceived threat from Russia.
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