Poland Urges NATO 5% Defense Spending by 2030

Poland Urges NATO 5% Defense Spending by 2030 Poland's defense minister, Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, stated on Wednesday, May 6, that NATO member countries should achieve the alliance's target of spending 5% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on defense by 2030, five years earlier than the current 2035 goal. This call was made during the Defence 24 Days conference in Warsaw, emphasizing the urgency of rearming in the face of perceived rising threats.

The current NATO agreement, established at a summit in June 2025, stipulates that member states aim to allocate 5% of GDP to defense and security-related investments by 2035. These investments encompass areas such as cybersecurity and infrastructure upgrades for military equipment. Poland, a NATO member bordering Russia and Ukraine, is currently the alliance's largest military spender relative to its economic size, with plans to spend 4.8% of GDP on defense in 2026.

Kosiniak-Kamysz highlighted that Europe possesses significant economic potential but stressed that defense spending is an immediate priority. He warned that delaying the 5% target until 2035 could be too late, underscoring the need for accelerated military preparedness.