Poland Urges NATO to Hit 5% GDP Defense Spending Goal by 2030, Not 2035

Poland's Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz told the Warsaw Security Forum on Monday that NATO's planned timeline for lifting military spending to 5% of gross domestic product is too slow, insisting the goal must be met by 2030 rather than 2035. He argued that Europe cannot afford to wait for a stronger defense posture. According to Breaking The News, he said: ''In my view, we cannot wait until 2035 for Europe to be strong,'' adding that Europe must take on more responsibility.

The minister also addressed the European Union's SAFE (Security Action for Europe) defense financing program, describing Poland as one of its largest beneficiaries. He said the willingness of other countries to join the initiative reflects a shared assessment of the threat posed by Russia. Kosiniak-Kamysz added that the funds should be used to build up the European defense sector, warning that countries cannot modernize their defense industries in isolation from one another.

The comments came at a forum that drew senior NATO and European officials. NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe Alexus Grynkewich told the same gathering that he does not see conflict as ''imminent or inevitable,'' but said the alliance is prepared to fight ''tonight'' if allies are attacked. He described NATO's posture as defensive, saying its aim is to stop any attack in its tracks rather than impose a strategic defeat on an adversary, and that the burden of escalation would fall on an aggressor.

Other Polish and European officials used the conference to press for tougher measures against Moscow. Poland's Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski warned that NATO must prepare for potentially deadly Russian hybrid attacks as sabotage and disruption efforts across Europe increase, the Financial Times reported. Sikorski said the rising risk of casualties will force the alliance to make judgments about how far Russia has gone, and urged allies to limit Russian diplomatic presence and restrict tourist visas.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said the bloc would not ease pressure on Russia, warning that suspending sanctions on Russian diesel would hand Moscow additional revenue. She accused Russia of killing more than 80 Ukrainian civilians over two days and of stepping up hybrid attacks against EU and NATO countries, and said EU foreign ministers intended to approve measures on Monday. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow had noted NATO statements about preparations for war and was ''keeping its eyes open,'' reiterating that President Vladimir Putin had made clear what the response would be to an attack on the Kaliningrad region.

The spending debate now turns on whether allies will compress NATO's timeline. Poland, which borders Ukraine and has long pushed for higher defense budgets, is positioning itself as a leading voice in that effort while drawing on EU financing to expand its own industry.