In a statement to parliament on Friday, Prime Minister Donald Tusk shared his plan as part of a wider effort to create a 500,000-strong army to deter Russian aggression.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk has announced that Poland plans to provide military training to “every adult male” in the face of ongoing security threats.
In a statement to the Sejm – Poland’s parliament – on Friday, Tusk shared his plan as part of a wider effort to create a 500,000-strong army to deter Russian aggression.
“Work is underway to prepare large-scale military training for every adult male in Poland … that will help make those who do not go into the army into full-fledged and full-fledged soldiers during a conflict,” he said.
“We will try to have a model ready by the end of the year so that every adult male in Poland is trained for war,” Tusk announced.
According to the latest figures from last year, the Polish army numbered 200,000 soldiers, with a goal of increasing to 300,000 members.
Now, with declining support from the United States, Poland’s key military ally, the country, like many others in Europe, has placed even greater emphasis on readjusting its security and defence priorities.
“Today, the situation of Poland, objectively and the situation of Ukraine above all, is more difficult than it was a few months ago and we have to deal with this fact,” Tusk stressed.
He added that “hard security guarantees” from the US for Ukraine seem “less likely today than before”.
“This is a race for security”.
Many European countries are trying to reaffirm their common position on Ukraine and change their security priorities.
The Prime Minister said he had spoken to French President Emmanuel Macron about the possibility of obtaining protection under the French nuclear umbrella.
Citing the example of Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia after it gave up its nuclear weapons, Tusk stressed that Poland could consider nuclear “options.”
“We must be aware that Poland must reach for state-of-the-art capabilities also related to nuclear weapons and modern unconventional weapons (…) this is a race for security, not for war,” Tusk said in his speech.
Poland, Lithuania and Finland scale up training
Poland has been a close ally of Ukraine, with which it shares a border, since the beginning of the Russian invasion. Despite Tusk’s statement that he would not send troops to Ukraine, Poland has increased its own security budget over the past few years.
Poland is now the largest contributor to NATO. In 2024, it allocated 4.2 per cent of its GDP to defence. This year, this figure is expected to rise to 4.7 per cent.
Poland also has the largest army in Europe and the third largest army in NATO, after the United States and Turkey.
By proposing a military service plan, Poland would join other countries such as Switzerland, Finland and Lithuania, which have their own plans to increase military training.
In Lithuania, which borders both Russia and its close ally Belarus, almost 3,900 male adults between 18 and 23 are conscripted for nine months each year at the moment. However the government is considering conscripting women too.
Poland, Finland and Lithuania are also considering withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention, which bans anti-personnel mines.
“Every adult male”
Although the details of Tusk’s plan have not yet been revealed, he has stated that “every adult male” will undergo military training.
As for Polish women, they will be allowed to join, but on a voluntary basis.
“It is well known – war is still, however, to a greater extent the domain of men,” he added.
According to the report ‘Women in the military, peacekeeping and peace-making’ published by the European Parliament Research Service (EPRS), only 11 of the EU 27 states, including Poland, Finland and Lithuania, allow women to serve in frontline positions.
While security talks between European leaders are set to continue in the future, Tusk hopes that his proposal will effectively cement not only Polish but also European security.
“Poland’s task is to guard its eastern border, which is also the border of NATO and the European Union,” he said.
