2024-03-19 21:29 update: 2024-03-20, 13:51
Andrzej Duda. Photo PAP/Leszek Szymański
Russia could have the military capacity to attack Nato as early as in 2026 or 2027, Andrzej Duda, the Polish president, has told CNBC television, citing a report by German experts.
In the interview for the US broadcaster, Duda defended his recently submitted proposal to increase the required threshold for military expenditure by Nato countries from 2 to 3 percent of GDP.
"From my point of view it is a matter of common sense," he said. "New reports are coming in and I recently saw one by German experts which said that as early as perhaps 2026 or 2027, Putin, by putting his economy on a war footing, will have such military might that he we will be able to attack Nato.
"Alarm bells are ringing, we have two or three years in which we can increase our efforts, stockpile ammunition, produce weapons to maximise Europe's security, get ready and make sure that the invasion does not happen," Duda continued.
"All this needs to be done in order not to have to get involved in a fight. The point is to create such a deterrent that ensures we are not attacked. This is the whole point because none of us want war."
Duda also called on the United States to continue supporting Ukraine, warning that if Russia is not stopped in Ukraine, US troops could become involved.
"This Russian aggression has to be stopped at all cost. If it's not stopped it will spill over and then, I fear US money won't be enough to stop Russia, US soldiers will have to step in and no one wants that," he warned.
He argued that "every dollar donated to Ukraine, every Bradley (US infantry fighting vehicles - PAP), every weapon, every box of artillery ammunition transferred to Ukraine keeps the spectre of Russian victory away." (PAP)
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