September 15, 2017 - 6:08 AM
WARSAW, Poland - Poland's lawmakers have overwhelmingly approved an increase in defence spending to at least 2.1 per cent of the country's GDP in 2020 and at least 2.5 per cent of it in 2030, well above the level NATO requires.
Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz on Friday called the increase a necessary response to "threats from the East" where Russia is "using force to pursue its political goals."
Russia and Belarus are currently holding major war games near Poland's border.
The bill still needs approval by the Senate and the president.
Poland is among only five NATO member countries that meet the alliance's requirement of spending at least 2 per cent of their GDP on defence. Warsaw sees the need to increase that amount as it modernizes its armed forces and raises the number of troops.
News from © The Associated Press, 2017