President Andrzej Duda convened the National safety Council on Monday to discuss the issue of Ukraine's support and to present information from his fresh meetings with representatives of the American administration. The gathering was attended by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, talker of the Sejm Simon Holovnia and representatives of parliamentary groups. However, the gathering did not go unsettled.
PiS club chief Mariusz Błaszczak made a charge towards the government and Donald Tusk personally, claiming that there were no strategies and plans. “The unity of Poles is important, but most of all we request to guarantee the safety of our homeland,” added the politician PiS. "And you do not do this – there are no major arms contracts, there is no 300 1000 army. But there's a broken relation with the U.S. Fix this, then talk about unity" - emphasised Błaszczak.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk responded to these words, claiming that the national consensus on Ukraine is important, but the Law and Justice does not realize this issue. "I presented a national consensus on Ukraine at the National safety Council. The request for political unity of Poles towards the threat from the east was understood by everyone. President, Marshals, leaders of parliamentary clubs. Only Mariusz Błaszczak did not understand," wrote Tusk on X.
The Marshal of the Sejm Simon Holovnia added that the message by Blaszczak did not contain any substantive references. "The head of the PiS club Mariusz Błaszczak made the National safety Council a charge towards the government and Donald Tusk personally," said talker Simon Hołownia. He added that, in the course of the message by b. Minister of Defence, he did not find “any substantive references”.
According to data from the Ministry of Defence, in 2022 defence spending amounted to 2.2% of GDP, an increase of 0.5% compared to the erstwhile year. However, as Błaszczak says, it is not adequate to guarantee national security.
In turn, according to data from the Institute for strategical Studies, in 2022 71% of Poles believed that national safety was 1 of the most crucial problems of the state. Moreover, 63% of respondents believed that Russian aggression on Ukraine was a threat to Poland's security.
In this context, the discussion at the National safety Council was crucial to discuss the issue of Ukraine's support and national security. However, according to politicians, there is no agreement between parties to find a common solution.
It is worth noting that the EU and NATO are besides discussing safety in the context of Russian aggression against Ukraine. According to NATO data, in 2022 the alliance spent EUR 1.1 trillion on defence spending, an increase of 0.3% compared to the erstwhile year.
In Poland, the Ministry of Defence besides plans to increase defence spending. According to data from the Ministry of Finance, in 2023 defence spending is expected to be 3% of GDP, an increase of 0.8% compared to the erstwhile year.
In conclusion, the discussion at the National safety Council was crucial to discuss the issue of Ukraine's support and national security. However, there is no agreement between the parties to find a common solution. It is worth noting that the EU and NATO are besides discussing the issue of safety in the context of Russian aggression against Ukraine.
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National safety Council: Interconnection between parties
