March 7 (UPI) — Citing “geopolitical uncertainty,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed on Friday the country is aiming to have all men undergo some manner of military training.
“By the end of the year, we want to have a model ready so that every adult male in Poland is trained for war, and so that this reserve is adequate for possible threats,” Tusk told the Sejm, the lower house of Poland’s parliament Friday.
The prime minister made the comments as tensions escalate between European allies and Russia, following a European Union announcement earlier in the week of a multi-billion-dollar spending package to protect itself and Ukraine.
The $841 billion “ReArm Europe Plan” is meant to shield EU members and Ukraine from Russian aggression through the remainder of the 2020s.
Tusk told Poland’s parliament his government plans to “prepare large-scale military training for every adult male in Poland.”
Polands’ military currently stands at around 200,000, behind only Turkey and the United States in size among members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO.
Tusk said he hopes to increase the size of his country’s military to around a half-million.
Ukraine’s army has approximately 800,000 personnel while Russia’s military is thought to be around 1.3 million strong.
Tusk on Thursday called the current situation an “arms race.”
“The war, the geopolitical uncertainty and the new arms race started by Putin have left Europe with no choice,” Tusk said on X.
“Europe must be ready for this race, and Russia will lose it like the Soviet Union 40 years ago. From today, Europe will arm itself more wisely and faster than Russia.”
Among European NATO members, Poland spends the largest percentage of its Gross Domestic Product on its military.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said Poland should increase that percentage from 4.7% to 5%.
Approximately 10,000 U.S. military personnel are stationed in Poland and the country does routinely purchase American weapons.
Trump’s lack of clarity on his position with Russia also played a role in Friday’s announcement.
“We are seeing a deep correction in U.S. policy with regard to Ukraine but we can’t turn our backs to it only because we don’t like it. We must be precise and honest in assessing what it means and what serves our interest and what doesn’t,” Tusk told the Polish parliament.
“Our deficit has been the lack of the will to act, having no confidence, and sometimes even cowardice. But Russia will be helpless against united Europe. It’s striking but it’s true. Right now, 500 million Europeans are begging 300 million Americans for protection from 140 million Russians who have been unable to overcome 50 million Ukrainians for three years.”