Poland will raise its defense expenditure to 4.8% of its gross domestic product in 2026, the Polish finance minister announced on Thursday. This figure is close to the 5% target set by U.S. president Donald Trump for NATO member states.
“In 2026, we will allocate a record 200 billion zloty ($55 billion) to defense spending,” said Finance Minister Andrzej Domanski following a cabinet meeting. “This represents more than 4.8% of GDP,” he added.
Poland is a key ally on NATO’s eastern flank, as neighboring Ukraine continues to fight off the Russian invasion that began in 2022. Fearing the growing Russian threat, Poland has embarked on a rapid modernisation of its armed forces, spending billions on weapons, mainly from the United States and South Korea.
In June, under pressure from President Trump, the 32-member NATO alliance agreed to increase defense spending significantly over the next decade. Trump pushed for a commitment requiring member states to spend 5% of their GDP on defense, a move seen as crucial to keeping him engaged with the alliance.
