Vladislav KAMISH, the Minister of Defense of Poland, expressed a warning to Europeans that they need to increase defense spending in order to secure support from U.S. President Donald Trump. "The U.S. President Donald Trump does not take your opinions on Ukraine into account until you seriously start investing in your own security," said KAMISH in an interview with Bloomberg.
"The recipe is simple: more defense spending and more investments in the defense industry," added KAMISH. He noted that only then will Europe be able to actively claim its place at the negotiating table. The impact of the Russian war in Ukraine is strongly felt in neighboring Poland and across the entire eastern flank of NATO.
Trump expressed the view that NATO countries should spend 5% of GDP on defense, which significantly exceeds the current target of 2%. Trump has long criticized NATO, asserting that many European members of the alliance consider the U.S. as their unconditional protector and do not pay their fair share, relying on American taxpayers.
Trump boasted that the commitment he made during his first term forced NATO partners to spend more, saying: "I made them spend 2%", particularly highlighting Germany as one of the countries that lags in defense spending.
