Speaking to reporters before departing for the meeting, Duda said Russia’s renewed aggression made it imperative for NATO countries to commit more resources to defence.
He pointed to Cold War-era spending levels as a proven deterrent and said the alliance should revisit that approach.
“This would be a breakthrough decision,” he said, adding that he would also raise the issue of strengthening Europe's arms industry.
NATO leaders are gathering Tuesday and Wednesday at the historic Huis ten Bosch palace in The Hague to discuss collective defence and emerging threats.
Among the proposals on the table is one from NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, suggesting that member states spend 5 percent of GDP on defence: 3.5 percent on core defence needs, and 1.5 percent on infrastructure and industrial capabilities.
Duda warned that higher spending must be accompanied by investment in production capacity.
“It’s easy to raise defence budgets, but you still need something to buy,” he said, underlining the need for Europe's defence industry to become more self-sufficient.
He also called for building new pipelines from Western Europe to the alliance’s eastern flank, to ensure the reliable delivery of aviation fuel and other strategic resources.
At home, Duda has proposed a constitutional amendment to fix Poland’s minimum defence spending at 4 percent of GDP. He urged lawmakers to adopt the measure, saying the high threshold needed to overturn such a constitutional clause would serve as a strong safeguard for national security.
In addition to Duda, the Polish delegation in The Hague includes Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and Deputy Defence Minister Paweł Zalewski.
The summit includes a formal dinner hosted by Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima, a plenary session of the North Atlantic Council on Wednesday, and side events such as working dinners of foreign and defence ministers.
Polish Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz warned on Tuesday that failure to adopt the proposed new defence spending target would endanger the alliance’s security.
"Failing to adopt the 5-percent target as soon as possible would pose a threat to the security of NATO," Kosiniak-Kamysz told reporters, adding that Poland allocates "more than any other NATO member."
(rt/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP