Poland calls for EU-Russia arms race
The EU must escalate its military buildup and win an arms race against Russia, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said. His statement comes amid growing calls by Western European leaders to increase defense spending, citing what they describe as a threat from Moscow.
In a message posted on social media on Thursday, Tusk claimed Russia has started a new arms race and insisted that the EU must respond.
“The war, the geopolitical uncertainty and the new arms race started by Putin have left Europe [sic] with no choice. Europe must be ready for this race, and Russia will lose it like the Soviet Union 40 years ago,” Tusk wrote.
His comments echo statements by French President Emmanuel Macron, whose claim that Russia poses a threat to the EU was dismmised outright by Moscow as “highly confrontational.”
Macron has urged the bloc to increase defense spending and has also proposed extending France’s nuclear umbrella to other EU countries in response to perceived risks from Moscow.
Tusk’s remarks also come as US President Donald Trump and his administration increasingly push European NATO members to take responsibility for their own defense.
Russian President Vladimir Putin called Western claims of an impending attack “nonsense.” He has also accused European leaders of stoking tensions and using the perceived Russian threat as a pretext to justify increased military spending.
In December, Putin also stressed that Russia does not want to be bogged down in an arms race, which would be detrimental to the social and economic development of the country. He warned, however, that Russia will take all necessary measures to ensure the security of itself and its allies.
