Poland is working on plans to require all men to undergo military training, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced.
Speaking in parliament, Tusk stated that the government intends to provide full details in the coming months. He emphasized efforts to implement large-scale military training for every adult male in Poland, aiming to have a comprehensive model ready by the end of the year. The goal is to ensure that Poland has a well-trained reserve force capable of responding to potential threats.
Tusk highlighted the size of Ukraine’s military, which has 800,000 soldiers, and Russia’s 1.3 million-strong army. He aims to expand Poland’s military, including reservists, from its current 200,000 troops to 500,000. To achieve this, he outlined a multi-pronged approach involving reservist recruitment and intensive training programs to prepare civilians for combat readiness.
While Tusk mentioned that women could also undergo military training, he noted that warfare remains predominantly male-dominated.
The prime minister also addressed Poland’s security strategy, stating that the government is closely evaluating France’s proposal to extend its nuclear umbrella to Europe. He pointed out that Ukraine was invaded after giving up its nuclear arsenal and acknowledged that Poland would be safer if it had its own, although he admitted that acquiring nuclear weapons would be a long and complex process requiring broad consensus.
Poland already allocates 4.7% of its GDP to defense—the highest within NATO—but Tusk proposed increasing it to 5%. President Andrzej Duda has also suggested a constitutional amendment to make a 4% defense spending threshold mandatory.
Additionally, Tusk expressed support for Poland withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention, which bans antipersonnel landmines, and potentially from the Dublin Convention, which prohibits cluster munitions.
Since Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Poland has significantly ramped up its military spending, signing arms deals worth approximately $20 billion with the United States. These include purchases of 250 M1A2 Abrams battle tanks, 32 F-35 fighter jets, 96 Apache helicopters, Javelin missiles, and artillery rocket systems. Poland has also secured agreements with South Korea to acquire K2 tanks and FA-50 light combat aircraft.
Growing concerns over security have intensified, particularly following former U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to suspend military aid to Ukraine. Many Poles view supporting Ukraine as essential to their own security.
Mirosław Kaznowski, deputy mayor of Milanówek, a town near Warsaw, told News that a friend of his is investing in a start-up to build affordable underground bomb shelters for businesses and homes, responding to increasing public demand.
