“Super Express”: – The Ministry of National Defense announced an increase in defense spending to 2.5%. GDP. An increase in the number of troops was announced. However, there have been comments stating that in such a situation the increase in spending would be too small and would not be enough to modernize the armed forces.

General Roman Polko: – There are two problems here. First of all, the defense budget must be planned well. Equipment purchases are made one by one, and I still haven’t seen a program with clear priorities. Second, I am concerned about Minister Macierewicz’s words that the number of troops will be doubled in a short time.

– Why does this bother you?

– The point is not to trample enemy troops, but to have professionally trained and equipped troops. Even if you want to increase troops, it must be a long-term plan. Increasing 100 percent in one year would be unique on a global scale. In short, let’s keep what is and complement what is. Just a territorial defense plan is enough, increasing the number of soldiers means adding a lot of problems. Another thing – today war is not just clashes on the battlefield. The question is, how much is the 2.5% fee? I want other ministries to include security costs in their budgets. For example, the Minister of Digital must participate in building security in cyberspace, and the Minister of Culture must participate in forming a patriotic attitude.

– Yes, but for now we should spend 2.5 percent of GDP, Russia spends 5 percent?

– The fear is that this 2 or 2.5 percent is at the expense of important projects, this may result in less funding than if the economic conditions of our country were good. Real numbers are the key. Personally, I would prefer that instead of saying how much money from the budget should be allocated to defense, the Ministry of Defense would present specific programs. For example, we increase spending for three years, but rebuild for a specific purpose – air defense, for example. So we have a situation where, at the end of the year, there is a desperate attempt to spend the funds, with no ideas and no tenders. I feel a little sad that we paid more for certain tools compared to more mature strategies.

– The transfer of leopards to Warsaw caused controversy. Is this the right decision of the Ministry of Defense?

– I understand that battalions can be moved, this is standard. But when I heard that some equipment was taken away to give to others, and soldiers accustomed to Leopards were transferred to T-72s, which should not be used anymore, this undoubtedly destroyed the morale of the soldiers. Soldiers are attached to their equipment and weapons. And adapting to a new tank or remembering actions on an old tank may take up to two years.

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