Polish president proposes raising NATO defense spending in response to Russian threat

The comments came in response to a query from the Polish Press Agency about the U.S.'s position on supporting Duda's initiative to escalate NATO allies' commitments to 3 percent of their GDP on defense, up from the originally agreed 2 percent. "We've seen improvement in this area, with about two-thirds of the members already meeting this requirement. But, we should focus on attaining full compliance with the initial step before discussing any further increases," Miller articulated.

President Duda disclosed his intentions during a National Security Council meeting on Monday before his meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House. He proposes increasing the defense spending threshold set at the 2014 NATO summit in Newport from 2 percent to 3 percent of GDP. This strategic move is seen as a direct response to the escalating threats from Russia, which has adjusted its economy to support its military engagements.

"I aim to rally support from our allies across America and Europe. It's encouraging that the United States and Poland, which have already surpassed the minimum spending requirement, can lead by example and motivate other nations," Duda announced optimistically.

The scheduled meeting between President Duda, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and U.S. President Joe Biden at 3:30 PM Eastern Time marks a significant event, coinciding with Poland's 25th anniversary of NATO membership. The gathering aims at preparatory discussions ahead of the July NATO Summit in Washington. The Polish representatives will touch upon several critical issues during their talks with President Biden, including the current state and future expansion of NATO, potential membership for Ukraine, and bolstering Polish-American military cooperation and defense procurement from the U.S.

Following the bilateral talks, Prime Minister Tusk will address the media around 4:40 PM Eastern Time before returning to Poland.