**NATO Defense Budget Could Surpass Russia’s Tenfold**
Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk wants other European countries to spend more on defense. He says if they all spent as much as Poland, NATO’s budget would be ten times bigger than Russia’s.
Tusk made his comments during a meeting with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky in Warsaw. He said that Europe should take responsibility for its own security and not rely on others to help.
**Calls for Higher Defense Spending**
The call for higher defense spending is not new. It has been going on since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. The US President, Donald Trump, has also called for NATO countries to spend more on defense. He wants them to spend at least 5% of their GDP on defense, which is more than the current goal of 2%.
Tusk agreed with Trump’s suggestion and said that if European countries took their obligations in NATO seriously, America would be happy to cooperate with them.
**Current Defense Spending**
Currently, only 24 out of 32 NATO countries meet the 2% GDP target. Some countries like Italy, Canada, and Spain fall short of this goal.
NATO’s Secretary General, Mark Rutte, has also spoken about the need for higher defense spending. He joked that if countries don’t increase their spending, they might have to take Russian language courses or move to New Zealand.
**Ukraine’s Situation**
The meeting between Tusk and Zelensky was focused on Ukraine’s defense capabilities. They discussed ways to strengthen Ukraine’s military and impose sanctions on Russia.
Zelensky praised his discussions with Tusk and said that they were working together to bring peace closer for Ukraine and Europe.
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