WARSAW 

Poland is a model of defense spending that other NATO members should follow, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told a press conference in Warsaw after meeting with Polish Minister of Defense Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz on Friday.

"Our first trip is to Poland; the symbolism is not lost. Poland is a model NATO member," Hegseth said. "Hard power is the most important, and Poland understands that perfectly. Peace through strength. Two percent is not enough."

Hegseth reiterated President Trump's call for 5%. "Increasing involvement in one's own security is a down payment for the future. Poland already spends 5% of its GDP on defense, which is a model for the continent,” he said.

Poland spends one of the highest percentages on defense in the alliance, aiming for 4% in 2024 and up to 5% in 2025. Much of its spending is on US-produced and supplied weaponry.

Kosiniak-Kamysz said Poland has "a long memory of the importance of security, peace, and freedom. Strength doesn't come without spending," adding that all Poles were united on Poland increasing defense spending. "Europe must pay its share," he said. "Europe must wake up, and pay its share. We want a joint venture between Poland and the US."

Hegseth also reiterated the pivot in US policy away from military support for Ukraine, where Poland has played a key role in supporting the anti-Russian government since February 2022.   

'US troops will not be deployed in Ukraine'

The Pentagon chief emphasized that if any troops are sent to Ukraine as peacekeeping forces, it should be as part of a mission outside NATO and should not be covered by Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. "To be clear, US troops will not be deployed in Ukraine as part of any security guarantee," he said.

Hegseth said Europe must provide Kyiv with the bulk of future lethal and non-lethal aid, and "protecting European security must be an imperative for European NATO members."

European leaders have called for unity in ongoing support for Ukraine. "I call on all political forces and leaders to suspend disputes about war and peace in Ukraine and unite in the face of threats from the East. Poland, Europe and the entire West need full cooperation and solidarity today," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Thursday.

The foreign ministers of the Weimar Triangle countries (Poland, Germany and France) and the heads of diplomacy of Italy, the UK and Spain issued a joint statement emphasizing that Europe must be an integral part of the peace negotiations regarding Ukraine. The matter was also addressed by the EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who said that Europe should play a central role in all negotiations regarding the conflict in Ukraine.

In February 2024, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski warned the US of "profound consequences" for US allies around the world if Congress failed to approve $60 billion in aid to Ukraine. "Some countries will start hedging their bets, and others will consider developing their own nuclear weapons programs," he said, also criticizing Trump's statement that he would encourage Russia to attack NATO countries that do not fulfill their military spending commitments to the alliance. "Poland sent a brigade to Ghazni, a tough province in Afghanistan — and we didn’t send an invoice to Washington. A military alliance is not a neighborhood security company," he added.

Notwithstanding, US arms sales hit $238 billion in 2023, with Poland one of the primary customers. During 2022, the estimated share of Polish military spending dedicated to procurement jumped from 20.4% to 35.9%, largely due to new bilateral arms procurement deals. Poland has long petitioned the US for a greater military presence, citing the threat of resurgent Russian militarism.