The recent NATO summit in The Hague concluded on Wednesday afternoon with a set of decisions hailed by both Polish President Andrzej Duda and Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz as “very important and beneficial for Poland.” Chief among them was the Alliance’s endorsement of a major increase in defence spending, alongside new bilateral military arrangements with Norway, Germany and Australia.

In a statement released following the meeting of leaders from all 32 NATO member states, the alliance pledged to raise defence-related expenditure to 5% of national GDP by 2035. The target includes 3.5% for direct military capabilities and 1.5% for broader security investments, such as infrastructure and civil defence. Crucially, the figure will also account for support provided to Ukraine—an initiative strongly advocated by the Polish delegation.

During the NATO summit, US President Donald Trump offered a clear endorsement of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty — the core principle that an attack on one member state is considered an attack on the entire alliance.

His remarks, delivered amid ongoing concerns in Europe over the future of America’s commitment to NATO, were interpreted as a reassuring signal of continuity in US security policy.

Trump also made comments on the recent US air operations in Iran.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, speaking at the summit’s closing press conference, confirmed Trump’s statement, emphasising that the former president had “unequivocally expressed the United States’ commitment to the Alliance.”

Kosiniak-Kamysz, posting on X after the summit, welcomed the commitments as a “significant step forward” for Poland’s security posture. Among the bilateral outcomes, he highlighted Norway’s decision to deploy F-35 fighter jets to Poland, bolstering the country’s air defences, and the extended presence of German Patriot missile systems in Jasionka near Rzeszów—home to a key logistical hub supplying aid to Ukraine.

In another notable development, Australia is set to send an AWACS reconnaissance and early warning aircraft to Poland. This was confirmed by Kosiniak-Kamysz following a meeting with Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles, adding yet another layer of international cooperation to Poland’s growing role on NATO’s eastern flank.

The summit’s outcomes reflect a strengthening of allied solidarity in the face of ongoing security challenges, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe.

Source: PAP

Photo: X/@KosiniakKamysz

Tomasz Modrzejewski