NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called for increasing defence spending and maintaining support for Kyiv amid Donald Trump’s return to power when they met in Poland on Wednesday (13 November).
Rutte came to Warsaw at Tusk's invitation. Last week, Tusk announced he would hold a series of meetings to discuss Europe’s future following Trump’s election victory in the US.
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“The relationship is crucial, but it is even more crucial that we have identical - not similar, but identical - views on the situation in the world, including this currently on fire,” Tusk said, referring to the Polish Eastern border.
During the joint press conference, both leaders discussed their deep personal friendship, which they said now impacts good relations between Warsaw and NATO.
“We live in constantly changing [political] circumstances, so it is important that we can place trust and confidence in both you, Mark, and the whole Alliance,” he added, welcoming the fact that the secretary-general has understood Polish security needs.
Arguing that Poland is “the cornerstone of NATO policy and of NATO's presence at this critical time and place,” Tusk said he familiarised Rutte with efforts to strengthen and fortify the Eastern border as part of the East Shield initiative. This would make it “an impassable boundary for possible aggressors or attackers.”
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“Clear message for the US” Rutte praised Poland for excelling in defence spending.
Poland is NATO's leader in these terms, spending more than 4% of the GDP. The country will increase its expenditures to reach 4.7% as soon as 2025.
“This sends a clear message not only to our adversaries but also to the United States that Europe understands it must do more to ensure our shared security. And that starts with spending more and fielding more capabilities,” Rutte said.
Even though Trump’s name was not mentioned during the joint conference, Rutte and Tusk addressed the need to keep military spending up.
When campaigning, Trump suggested the US would not help Europeans facing military attacks if they did not spend enough on defence.
NATO members should spend at least 2% of their GDP on defence, but not all meet that target yet.
Tusk also agreed with Rutte that “everything must be done to strengthen transatlantic security cooperation.” He assured the NATO chief he “can count on Poland and the Polish government here” as “this is Polish doctrine.”
As European NATO allies are concerned that under Trump, the US might halt or reduce support for Ukraine, Rutte praised Poland as a staunch supporter of Kyiv, which “provides crucial military aid and hosts over 1 million Ukrainian refugees [...] and host the NATO-Ukraine Joint Analysis, Training and Education Centre.” He insisted on the need to continue collective support to Ukraine.
Defence minister wants “more respect” from Kyiv During his visit to Poland, Rutte also met President Andrzej Duda, Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz (PSL, EPP) and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski (PO, EPP),
He discussed the official opening of the Aegis Ashore ballistic missile defence base in Redzikowo with Duda and Kosiniak-Kamysz, which he participated in earlier in the day.
“This site significantly enhances our ability to defend against the growing threat of ballistic missiles from outside the Euro-Atlantic area. [...] [It] is a testament to the strong commitment of both the United States and Poland to our collective defence,” he said.
Still, the question of Ukraine was also present, with Kosiniak-Kamysz referred at the conference after the meeting to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s recent criticism of Poland for failing to deliver promised MiG fighter jets and refusing to intercept Russian missiles over Ukraine's western territories, which former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg ruled out.
Asked by Euractiv whether he discussed the issue with Rutte and whether the new Secretary General upheld his predecessor’s position, Kosiniak-Kamysz said it should instead be Rutte (who was not available for questions, though) to speak for himself. Still, his position is that “no NATO country ought to make decisions about such engagement on its own.”
Regarding delivering weapons, on the other hand, he said he would like to see “more respect” from Kyiv for what Poland has done for Ukraine since the first day of the full-scale war.
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