Poland wants to have the largest army in Europe. In any case, this is the wish of the current government, which wants to do everything to secure its borders, especially since the start of the war in Ukraine, because it is feared that Russia will then attack Poland. The Polish army is already starting to recruit new soldiers.
From our correspondent in Warsaw,
They are nearly 14,000 to have joined the ranks of the Polish army in 2022. A record since the end of compulsory military service in 2008.
Countryside ” Become a soldier of Poland was launched two months after the start of the war. The goal is to have a recruitment process: simpler, faster and more modern. And it already seems to be paying off. Today, Poland would have about 164,000 soldiers, which is considerable. Because by way of comparison, France, much more populous than Poland, has just 200,000 soldiers.
And this campaign should continue to grow. The objective is to reach 300,000 soldiers within the next 10 years. In any case, the current national-conservative government is doing everything to make it happen. He has also set up a new military service which lasts one year; it is voluntary and remunerated. However, many media are still expressing their concern. They expect the resignation of many cadres of the Polish army, and it will take time to train the next ones.
Modernized equipment
At the same time, Poland has also embarked on the modernization of its equipment to have a “ great deterrent army “as the Minister of Defense wishes. For this, Poland has multiplied arms purchases internationally, especially with the Americans, who are the great allies and privileged partners.
Himars missile systems, F-35 fighter jets, tanks, howitzers… There are all kinds. And this new material is already arriving in Poland. At the end of last week, we could see Patriot air defense systems in the streets of Warsaw. All this material also arrives to replace the old one which left for Ukraine.
Poland has established itself as one of the engines of military aid for its neighbour. She has long put pressure on its European neighbors, and especially on Germany, to send Leopard 2 tanks across the border. But she was able to afford it thanks to all these contracts signed with her allies to return her old equipment to kyiv.
A key element of NATO
The size of the Polish army allows the country to have more weight within NATO and the European Union. Poland wants to be one of the driving forces. Warsaw has always been favorable to welcoming military formationsto become a platform for sending equipment to Ukraine or to station american troops on his floor.
Poland plays an important role within NATO. Alliance in which it occupies the first place in terms of military expenditure in relation to GDP. The 2023 budget allocates nearly 4% of Poland’s GDP to its military. It is even more than the United States.
It is truly symbolic of the importance taken by Poland since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine. Whether in terms of numbers or influence within NATO and the European Union.
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