In recent days, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has warned that Europe is in a “pre-war era” and still has a long way to go before it is ready to confront the threat that Russia has posed. In February 2022, since Russia launched its full invasion plan, European leaders and military officials have grown increasingly concerned that the conflict could end up spilling over to other countries on its border. President Vladimir Putin has continually denied that Russia intends to attack NATO countries and the Russian war is due to the post-Cold War geopolitical order. Consequently, this forced Europe to take seriously its defense after decades of lowering military budgets. Contrastingly, now they are encouraging bordering countries within the continent to take more drastic and serious measures.
Similarly, both Sweden and Finland which were once both neutral Scandinavian countries, have recently joined NATO. In the Baltics, Estonia and Lithuania have strengthened their defense budgets much more above NATO’s minimum commitment of 2% of GDP. In addition, Moldova, a country bordering Ukraine that has long been vulnerable to Russian interference, is on an accelerated path to having a closer and better relationship with the European Union. Meanwhile, France, Germany, and Poland, also known as the “Weimar Triangle”, have been leading the continent’s actions to rearm and guard itself against further Russian aggression.
Donald Tusk has been trying to bring Poland back into the European mainstream after nearly a decade of authoritarian rule under the populist Law and Justice Party.
As the country is right in between Germany and Russia, it has long been aware of the importance of strong defense. Consequently, Poland’s military budget is more than 4% of its GDP which is double NATO’s guideline. It has also welcomed and assisted millions of Ukrainians who have fled Russia’s invasion.
Despite Europe’s efforts to increase its defense, Tusk said Europe as a whole still must strive to be “independent and self-sufficient in defense” while maintaining a strong alliance with the US.
While US President Joe Biden has remained unwavering in his support for Ukraine, former President Donald Trump said last month that, if reelected in November this year, he would encourage Russia to do “whatever the hell they want” to any NATO member that doesn’t meet spending guidelines on defense.
