Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Polish President Andrzej Duda said the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance must immediately increase its defense spending. This step was taken to ensure the country does not become the target of the next Russian attack.
Duda reiterated his call for NATO members to increase their military contribution to 3%. The call comes amid new reports that Moscow is ready to target the military alliance in the next two to three years.
“Alarm bells are ringing,” he was quoted as saying CNBC International, Wednesday (20/3/2024).
Therefore, Duda said that increasing the alliance's military investment is becoming increasingly important. It described its increased spending targets as “common sense.”
“We have two or three years to step up our efforts, stockpile ammunition and produce weapons to maximize European security, get ready and make sure an invasion doesn't happen,” he said.
“All of this needs to be done so that we don't have to get into fights. The point is to create deterrence that ensures we are not attacked. This is the point because none of us wants war,” he added.
Citing unspecified German research, Duda said new evidence suggests that Russian President Vladimir Putin is doubling down on his shift toward a war economy with a view to attacking NATO in 2026 or 2027.
This follows a Danish intelligence report in February which stated that Moscow could launch an attack on NATO within three to five years. However, both reports could not be independently verified.
The president of Poland, whose country shares a land border with Ukraine, has spearheaded calls to supply weapons to Kyiv since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.
Poland has also improved its military capabilities, increasing its defense spending by 2023 to almost 4% of gross domestic product (GDP). Please note, this exceeds the United States (US) in terms of percentage.
Previously, Duda had also conveyed his concerns to US President Joe Biden last week. Duda called on NATO to raise its minimum military spending target to 3% of GDP to further strengthen the alliance's defenses.
Currently, NATO allies are expected to contribute 2% of GDP to defense, a threshold that all 18 member states will meet this year. Sweden became the 32nd member of the transatlantic military alliance earlier this month.
[Gambas:Video CNBC]
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