NATO criticzes Poland for low defense spending, slow military modernization
NATO Secretary General George Robertson criticized Poland during a meeting
on Tuesday for its slow progress in modernizing the Polish army. Of all NATO
countries, Poland is the least prepared to defend against threats such as
terrorist attacks. The organization released a report which shows that
Poland spends $79 per capita annually on defense. This is the lowest
expenditure by any of the NATO countries. The United States spends $958,
while France spends $779. However, the $79 amount is 1.8% of Poland's GDP,
and on average NATO countries spend 1.9% of their GDP on defense. During a
meeting with Defense Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski, Robertson showed concern
that Poland will not be able to fulfill goals set by NATO concerning defense
and modernization of the armed forces by 2006. (Prawo i Gospodarka, p. 5;
Rzeczpospolita, p. A6) A.K.
