In an interview published over the weekend by Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ), Duda stressed the need for NATO countries to raise defense budgets to 3% of GDP—or more—to deter Russia.
“Only two leaders Putin fears”
“I calmly await Trump’s return to office,” Duda told NZZ. “In my opinion, there are only two presidents in the world that Vladimir Putin truly fears: China’s Xi Jinping and Donald Trump.”
While calling Trump’s thought process “unusual for a politician,” Duda added the former U.S. leader is “clear in his assessments” but deliberately vague about future methods. Duda believes Trump would not forsake Ukraine, given the political capital already invested in helping Kyiv. “When my counterparts express worries about Trump’s actions in Ukraine, I smile and say: ‘Try taking from Trump something he considers his own.’”
NATO commitments and defense spending
According to Duda, Trump’s talk of a U.S. withdrawal from NATO signals frustration over allies who fail to meet defense spending commitments. “Countries not even reaching 2% of GDP are somehow pushing for European autonomy,” Duda said, questioning how Europe would defend itself without U.S. support if it underfunds its militaries.
He noted that if EU member states each spent 4% of GDP—Poland’s current level—they might defend against Russia independently. “At 2%, we have no chance,” Duda asserted.
Comparing the present geopolitical situation to the Cold War, Duda said Russia again pursues “aggressive, imperialist policies” and threatens to use nuclear weapons. “In those days, NATO members spent at least 3% of GDP on the military,” he said. “If we want to deter Russia, we need to get back to that.”
Poland’s support for Ukraine
Despite almost three years of war in Ukraine, more than half of Poles still favor aiding Ukrainian refugees, Duda noted. He pointed out that many Ukrainians in Poland are integrating and becoming self-sufficient, and emphasized that Warsaw’s humanitarian and military assistance to Ukraine—amounting to nearly 5% of its GDP—demonstrates Poland’s commitment.
(jh)
Source: PAP