Duda called for increased NATO defense spending and stronger ties with the US
Kyiv • UNN
The Polish President emphasized the importance of strengthening NATO through increased defense spending and closer cooperation with the United States, as well as supporting Ukraine in its integration into European structures.
It is necessary to strengthen European security, but in partnership with the United States of America. This was stated by Polish President Andrzej Duda at the summit in Vilnius, reports UNN correspondent.
The Polish leader added that he is glad to involve representatives of the Nordic countries in the discussions, as this is an important step towards building and integrating the northern and eastern security space of NATO. He also stressed that the next NATO summit will take place in The Hague in just a few weeks, so this is a good time for allies to discuss their expectations for it.
We all know too well that we face critical threats from Russia. We must respond by making NATO stronger, but also fairer, given the full-scale invasion against Ukraine and its aggressive rhetoric towards the West, we must do everything to develop the right tools to deter the Kremlin's imperial ambitions, especially here on the eastern flank. That is why our talks focused mostly on the urgent need to increase defense spending and develop the capacity to produce national defense industries
Duda noted that before last year's NATO summit in Washington, he proposed raising the defense spending of NATO member countries to at least 3% of their GDP. So now he is glad that the allies have reached an agreement on this issue and are even ready to increase this figure to 5%.
Another element of our discussions was strengthening transatlantic relations and the strategic alliance with the United States. Now there is a much wider understanding that Europe should take more care of its security, but it is crucial to do this not by building mirages of European autonomy, but by building closer relations with the United States
Duda added that he had the opportunity to exchange views with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and assured of further support for Ukraine "in its struggle against the Russian Federation in various dimensions: military, political, humanitarian."
Ukrainian integration with the structures of the Alliance and the EU is critical for security in Europe