Poland to raise defence spending to 4.8% of GDP

Record Allocation for Defence Budgets
In a recent address made at the Warsaw Security Forum, Defence Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz affirmed that in 2026, Poland will spend 200 billion złoty (€46.8 billion) for the record military expenditure. He pointed to a series of violations of EU airspace, including drones, to support enhanced security concerns. "The Kremlin's horrible intentions have real and direct implications for the safety of Europe, and it is our understanding that Russia's ambitions extend well beyond Ukraine," Kosiniak-Kamysz said. The minister stressed that it is vital to improve the resilience of the national population, state capacity, and the economy in all sectors. "One of the more holistic approaches to national capital defence is resiliency at the level of the society, the state and the economy," Kosiniak-Kamysz said.

Security Improvements for the Region
Poland's announcement comes on the heels of EU countries, the nations along the eastern border, agreeing to put in place a "drone wall" for improved protection of the airspace, which stems from violations, including approximately 20 drones going into Polish airspace between September 9 and 10 and three Russian jets going into Estonian airspace on September 19. Moscow denies the incursions were purposeful challenges. Before the invasion of Ukraine at the dawn of 2022, Poland was already among the highest NATO members in defence spending relative to GDP, continuing to meet NATO guidelines of 2 percent of the GDP. In June of 2023, NATO members, except Spain, agreed to impose a 5% expenditure limit in 2035. Today, according to NATO information, Poland has the third-largest warrior population in NATO, following the United States and Turkey.