Poland will increase its defense spending next year to 4.8% of gross domestic product (GDP).

This was announced by the country's finance minister, Andrzej Domaski. This brings Poland closer to the 5% required by US President Donald Trump for NATO member states, AFP reported.

The budget proposal comes amid NATO's announcement that all members of the alliance will meet the previous military spending target of 2% of GDP this year.

Poland is a key ally on NATO's eastern flank, while neighboring Ukraine is struggling with the Russian invasion that began in 2022.

"We are committing a record amount of 200 billion zlotys (about $55 billion) to defense in 2026, which represents over 4.8% of GDP," Domanski told reporters after a cabinet meeting.

Fearing the Russian threat, Poland has begun a rapid modernization of its armed forces, investing billions in weapons, mainly from the US and South Korea.

In June, the 32 NATO countries agreed to significantly increase defense spending over the next decade under pressure from Trump.

The Republican insisted that alliance members allocate 5% of their GDP to security, which is seen as a key factor in his commitment to NATO.

This percentage includes 3.5% for core military spending and 1.5% for a more flexible set of areas such as infrastructure and cybersecurity. | BGNES