Poland to ramp up defence spending, army as Ukraine war rages

[Vergennes]

WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland will raise spending on its armed forces more than planned, the government said on Thursday, as a Russian invasion of neighbouring Ukraine focuses attention on Warsaw's defence capabilities.

Moscow's assault on Ukraine has shaken NATO-member Poland, where memories of Soviet domination after World War Two run deep.

"There will be an amendment (to the defence plan): 3% of GDP on defence next year, then we will increase it," Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the leader of ruling nationalist Law and Justice party (PiS), told the lower house of parliament.

Poland has kept its annual defence spending to 2% of GDP in recent years, in line with its commitment to NATO.

The 'Defence of the Fatherland Act', a bill first announced in October which parliament was debating on Thursday, had initially planned for an increase in spending to 2.5% from 2024.

Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said the bill would raise the number of soldiers in the Polish army to 300,000 as part of a five-year plan. Poland currently has around 143,500 soldiers.

"There will be a framework for having one of the strongest armies in NATO," Blaszczak said. "Our Fatherland needs such a Polish Army, especially now, when the evil empire is trying to be reborn across our eastern border."

The government has said it planned to lessen the impact on the budget by funding the expansion partly through government-secured bonds issued by state development bank BGK, in addition to treasury bonds, the state budget and profits from the central bank.

"We are aware of the limitations that result from EU regulations on the 3% budget deficit," Kaczynski said. "We are holding talks and there is a chance that military expenditure will not be included in the budget deficit, it is very important."

Poland to ramp up defence spending, army as Ukraine war rages

Poland will raise spending on its armed forces more than planned, the government said on Thursday, as a Russian invasion of neighbouring Ukraine focuses attention on Warsaw's defence capabilities. Moscow's assault on Ukraine has shaken NATO-member Poland, where memories of Soviet domination...

news.yahoo.com

 

[Constantin84]

Romania will also increase it, from 2% to 2.5% ,from next year

https://www.euractiv.com/section/po...s-to-increase-defence-spending-to-2-5-of-gdp/

 

[Vergennes]

Romania will also increase it, from 2% to 2.5% ,from next year

https://www.euractiv.com/section/po...s-to-increase-defence-spending-to-2-5-of-gdp/

Because of the Ukrainian crisis,expect the majority of European countries to announce budget defense increases as well as the number of armed forces personnel.

No much announcements from France because we are in the presidential election period.

 

[blain2]

Reality is that the threat from Russia to *any* of the NATO countries is overblown. Russians spend less than KSA/India on their defense capabilities and have a large but conscripted military. Hardly the kind which is useful for expeditionary campaigns and those too against the NATO alliance which is not only very capable militarily (collectively) but also has significant other levers like economic strangulation (case in point the punishment being meted out to Russia).

All these raises to defense spendings are the result of chronic underspending which is now catching up with Europe. They made hay while the sun was shining with relative peace on their borders. They no longer have this luxury. Welcome to the club Europe!

 

[EAGLE777]

If they really spend 3% that figure in terms of GDP will be highest in NATO.

Turkiye should increase to 3.5% its currently at 2.77

 

[Tshering22]

Meanwhile in the offices of Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, KMW, BAE, General Dynamics, Bumar, etc.,:

 

[Vergennes]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1499514962145951749

 

[UKBengali]

Poland 3% of GDP in defence and a 300,000 man army will mean that they will have land forces that would give the Russians pause for thought.

Germany will go to 2% of GDP spend on defence will mean that they by themselves will be able to fend off the Russian forces single-handedly in a conventional war.

If they really spend 3% that figure in terms of GDP will be highest in NATO.

Turkiye should increase to 3.5% its currently at 2.77

I think that Turkey is fine at nearly 3%.

It's economy at PPP is at 3 trillion US dollars and it now produces most of it's weapons inhouse and so the money goes much further than it did even 10 years ago.

Turkey's economy is projected to grow at 3-4% over the medium term as it's living standards rise to Western European standards by the 2030s.

 

[Constantin84]

Poland 3% of GDP in defence and a 300,000 man army will mean that they will have land forces that would give the Russians pause for thought.

Germany will go to 2% of GDP spend on defence will mean that they by themselves will be able to fend off the Russian forces single-handedly in a conventional war.





I think that Turkey is fine at nearly 3%.

It's economy at PPP is at 3 trillion US dollars and it now produces most of it's weapons inhouse and so the money goes much further than it did even 10 years ago.

Turkey's economy is projected to grow at 3-4% over the medium term as it's living standards rise to Western European standards by the 2030s.

I highly doubt they can reach 300k in the Army. The proper Polish army has 62k ,plus 5k in the special forces and around 35 k in the Air Force and Navy. There are about 50k in the National Guard which is more of a militia than a part of the Armed Forces.

 

[UKBengali]

I highly doubt they can reach 300k in the Army. The proper Polish army has 62k ,plus 5k in the special forces and around 35 k in the Air Force and Navy. There are about 50k in the National Guard which is more of a militia than a part of the Armed Forces.

Well if they spend and sustain 3% of their growing GDP then 300,000 well equipped troops is possible.

Say 200,000 regular soldiers and 100,000 reservists.

Remember Poland will have a tiny navy and so will be able to spend the largest share of the budget on army, followed by airforce.

Think the biggest problem will be getting enough volunteers to get a 200,000 regular army in a nation of just 38 million.

 

[Constantin84]

Well if they spend and sustain 3% of their growing GDP then 300,000 well equipped troops is possible.

Say 200,000 regular soldiers and 100,000 reservists.

Remember Poland will have a tiny navy and so will be able to spend the largest share of the budget on army, followed by airforce.

Think the biggest problem will be getting enough volunteers to get a 200,000 regular army in a nation of just 38 million.

Professional soldiers eat a large amount of the defence budget, the Romanian military spends 50% of its budget for about 75 k soldiers,over 3 billion $.Imagine how much 200k would cost in Poland, which has slightly bigger wages....10....12 billion $ per year? Unsustainable amount, if you ask me...even with a 20-22 billion $ budget

 

[nang2]

Putin did what Trump asked for with the suffering of Ukrainians and Russians as the price.

 

[LeGenD]

Poland 3% of GDP in defence and a 300,000 man army will mean that they will have land forces that would give the Russians pause for thought.

Polish are nationalistic on average, and brave and capable fighters as well.

Polish army that big would be one of the finest in the region - a force to be reckoned with.

 

[Abdul Rehman Majeed]

Romania will also increase it, from 2% to 2.5% ,from next year

https://www.euractiv.com/section/po...s-to-increase-defence-spending-to-2-5-of-gdp/

US, UK, France, Germany Sweden are silently thanking Putin and laughing their way to the Banks as eastern European countries increase their defense Budgets.

 

[UKBengali]

Professional soldiers eat a large amount of the defence budget, the Romanian military spends 50% of its budget for about 75 k soldiers,over 3 billion $.Imagine how much 200k would cost in Poland, which has slightly bigger wages....10....12 billion $ per year? Unsustainable amount, if you ask me...even with a 20-22 billion $ budget

Think your numbers may be a bit off there as to how much even a 200,00 professional army will eat up in wages.

Say they get paid 20,000 US dollars on average(average salary in poland is 15,000 US dollars a year) then we are looking at 4 billion US dollars a year.

The main problems I see is funding the procurement of expensive weapon systems and also just finding enough young poles who would volunteer to join the army when the Polish economy is likely to do very well and so lots of other employment opportunities for them.

The other option is that Poland sticks to just 100,000 regular army personnel and then has some form of conscription to maintain a reserve force of 200,000 to make up 300,000 men in total. With the equipment in hand and well trained reservists, then the army could be easily grow to 300,000 strong within 48 hours of mobilisation order given.

Whatever, I can see the Poles will by the end of the decade have an army that the Russians will think is no pushover.