Increased backing for arms, implementation of universal military training and closer ties with European partners while maintaining good relations with the US. This is how the government responds to a changed geopolitical situation. Prime Minister Donald Tusk spoke about this present in the Sejm. president Andrzej Duda, on the another hand, proposes that the Constitution should allocate 4% of GDP to defence.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk spoke before Parliament to discuss the effects of the meetings of the leaders of the European countries, which took place this week in London and Brussels. The head of the government besides presented plans of the government to increase Poland's security. – We are all aware of the importance of the minute and what is happening in the planet around the Russian-Ukrainian War, transatlantic relations, the situation in Europe. We have quite a few reasons to talk about the substance of war and peace with focus and without instrumental usage of the situation in interior politics – Donald Tusk started the speech. At the same time, he admitted that for many decades there has been a consensus among political groups on issues applicable to national security. The Prime Minister pointed out that in Poland and in the West, this consensus could disrupt the environment "toward Putin and Russian narrative". – It is simply a margin, dangerous, but inactive only a margin – he assessed.
Tusk spoke of a change in abroad policy that was late presented by the administration of the fresh US President. He admitted that all country has the right to prosecute the abroad policy it considers appropriate. "There has been a profound adjustment of the US policy towards the fighting Ukraine. We can't be offended. It is not our function to measure it, but it is our right and work to draw conclusions from it – he acknowledged. The Prime Minister recalled that Poland's safety was based and should inactive be based on 2 fundamental pillars: strong, unquestionable transatlantic relations and a strong position in a united Europe. present it is not easy to reconcile these 2 needs. But the safety of Europe, including Poland, depends precisely on whether these 2 foundations will last – he said. He immediately stated that he hoped that they would be strengthened in the close future, for example due to the fact that there was a "awakening" on the Old Continent and the request for strengthening, for example, defence production was understood.
Secure Ukraine, safe Europe
– After these respective twelve talks, besides led by the administration of president Andrzej Duda, and meetings at the summits, there is simply a image of changes taking place in geopolitics," said Donald Tusk. In addition to the "correction" of US policies, he mentioned a reorientation of European states' policies. "All Europe is ready to work together and translate, to influence our biggest partners, including the US, how crucial it is for the stableness of future peace to guarantee that Europe is active in the peace process in Ukraine," he argued. In his opinion, a strong, assured and, above all, well-armed Europe will scare Russia distant and does not even gotta look at the largest ally in NATO, which is the United States. “500 million Europeans beg 300 million Americans to defend us from 140 million Russians who have been incapable to cope with 40 million Ukrainians for 3 years”, he cited the possible of the Old Continent. He besides added the amounts that EU countries spend on defence. Only last year it was a full of 450 billion dollars. That's about what Moscow spent. For Russia, that's 30% of the income. For them, the race that began will be deadly," Tusk predicted. But it besides does not underestimate the problem, recalling that according to intelligence, Russia's actions are aimed at being ready for another armed attack within 3 or 4 years.
Secure Ukraine, safe Poland
Tusk admitted that the hope that Ukraine would receive strong safety guarantees, including the presence of US troops, is "lowly real", which for Europe and Poland means that they are in a much more serious situation than a fewer weeks ago. The Prime Minister reiterated that safe Ukraine, which has a strong position and is not governed by politicians dependent on Russia, is besides safe Poland. "Our safety depends on what happens at the front, but besides on what position Ukraine will have in the future," he noted. “If Ukraine loses the war or accepts the conditions of peace that will weaken its sovereignty and facilitate Putin’s gaining control of Ukraine, Poland will be in a much more hard situation,” he said.
He added that the hope of peace in Ukraine on fair terms would not replace the strategy. Therefore, Poland must unite and act as rationally as possible. – We must get utilized to the symmetrical treatment of Moscow and Kiev by the US. However, Poland will not change its opinion on the request to keep strong relations with the United States and NATO," explained the Prime Minister. He stressed that Poland’s function is “primarily to defender its own east border, which is besides the east flank of NATO and the EU. Tusk stressed that EU leaders agreed that the Tartar East programme would be given precedence by the Community. As a result, as the Prime Minister said, we can number on EU financial support for its implementation. He reiterated that Poland would not send troops to Ukraine under a peaceful contingent.
Poland will search to train a maximum number of reserveists. “There are voices about the request to have 500,000 soldiers, of course counting with reserveists”, said the Prime Minister. He informed that he had obliged the Minister of Defence to prepare by the end of this year a mechanics whereby all adult man would undergo training in the event of war. Poland focuses not only on military training, but besides on modern weapons, so method modernization of the military will be a precedence for the government. He mentioned that within the Union, programmes will be launched to supply loans for industrial improvement and capacity in areas specified as air defense, electronic combat and drones. “We are besides talking to the French about their thought of a atomic umbrella over Europe. It is time for Poland to look more courageously at the possibilities of state-of-the-art weapons – it revealed. Moreover, our country is to retreat from the Ottawa Convention and, perhaps, Dublin, which prohibit the usage of anti-personnel mines and cluster weapons. No criticism can halt us. We know that a country that is simply a possible threat to us has specified a weapon and uses it. We will do everything to make Poland safe – he argued.
The Prime Minister besides announced the fight against bureaucracy, which slowed down the process of purchasing equipment for the military, introducing facilitations for private companies if their activities and production were to service defence. Moreover, the government wants the budget initially allocated to another purposes (e.g. climate) to be shifted to the improvement of defence-related initiatives.
– We have a very serious race ahead of us. This is simply a race for security, not for war," he announced.
4% per military
Andrzej Duda listened to the speeches of the head of government in the Sejm. Earlier, the president reported that he had tabled an amendment to the Polish Constitution to the talker of the Sejm, which states in the law the primary work for the government to allocate to defence the equivalent of 4% of GDP per year. The commander of the armed forces admitted that Poland presently spends almost 5% on this purpose, but in his opinion the work to reserve 4% GDP would guarantee stableness for the future. " Yesterday in Brussels, I made a proposal to the Secretary-General of NATO to adopt a minimum of 3% of GDP for defence in NATO countries," he added.
