Today in Strasbourg, during the European Parliament’s plenary session, a debate took place regarding the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague on June 24–26, during which the leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization member states will discuss how to increase defense spending in the context of Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine and U.S. President Donald Trump’s calls for European countries to invest more and take greater responsibility for their own defense. Speaking on behalf of the ECR Group, PiS MEP Adam Bielan addressed the discussion.
Adam Bielan emphasized that the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague will be a decisive moment for the Alliance’s credibility and Europe’s security.
“We, on NATO’s eastern flank, know all too well that NATO is and should remain an irreplaceable shield for our freedom and security, as well as the strongest deterrent against those who seek to undermine peace in our region,” the MEP noted.
The PiS politician noted that today the EU faces a dramatically changed security environment: ranging from “Russia’s endless bloodthirstiness in Ukraine” to the escalating crisis in the Middle East and a new axis of autocracy in the world. “In this context, the upcoming NATO summit must reaffirm our commitment to the Alliance’s fundamental principles—cooperation among sovereign states that unite to credibly guarantee each other’s security,” – Bielan emphasized, calling for an urgent increase in defense spending, the strengthening of the armed forces, and the acceleration of the development of defense capabilities.
He also stated that the ECR Group fully supports the upcoming discussions at the summit regarding the 5% of GDP target for defense spending by 2035. “Europe must take greater responsibility for its own defense, work on a more equal footing with the U.S., and participate more actively in deterrence,” noted the ECR coordinator on the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs.
He added that this would be an appropriate opportunity to involve all stakeholders and find solutions regarding
increasing production, strengthening interoperability, and driving innovation in the defense sector.
“The ECR Group will always stand with Ukraine and NATO and uphold the values that define the transatlantic alliance. Ukraine continues to fight not only for its sovereignty but also for a rules-based international order that has protected Europe for decades. Ukraine’s victory must remain a strategic goal for NATO,” Bielan concluded.
