NATO Members Must Spend 5 Percent of GDP on Defense by 2030, Says Poland

The NATO member on the eastern flank of the defense union has been a strong supporter of Europe increasing its defense spending.

Soldiers of the U.S. Army 2nd Cavalry Regiment Stryker Brigade fire blanks during the Amber Shock 26 portion of the Saber Strike 26 NATO military exercises near Bemowo Piskie, Poland, on May 6, 2026. Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Poland said on May 6 that NATO members should spend 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) on defense and security-related investments by 2030—five years earlier than allies had agreed.

Polish Deputy Prime Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz made the recommendation during the Defence 24 Days conference in Warsaw, Poland.