The meeting of the defence ministers from the EU's largest countries together with the deputy defence minister of Great Britain comes as Poland begins its rotating presidency of the EU and as Europe braces for the unpredictability of a new Donald Trump presidency.
ADVERTISEMENT
Defence ministers from Poland, France, Italy, and Germany met in Warsaw on Monday to discuss military aid to Ukraine and security in Europe.
The meeting of the defence ministers from the EU's largest countries together with the deputy defence minister of Great Britain comes as Poland begins its rotating presidency of the EU and as Europe braces for the unpredictability of a new Donald Trump presidency.
"Security is the most important issue today. There is no issue more important than security for Europe," Poland's Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said.
"And there is no issue more important than security spending," the Polish defence minister added.
Poland is NATO's biggest relative defence spender after Warsaw earmarked 4.7% of its GDP spending on defence this year. The incoming US President Donald Trump wants to increase the current 2% target to 5% of GDP on defence.
As a key NATO member, Warsaw has been a strong voice for Kyiv and NATO’s future on the Eastern flank. It is one of Ukraine’s key allies in defence and humanitarian aid, not least as its geographical position allows for the rapid movement of supplies to Ukraine’s front lines.