On Wednesday, February 5, 2025, at the Territorial Defense Forces Command (Dowództwo Wojsk Obrony Terytorialnej, DWOT) in Zegrze, the President of the Republic of Poland and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Andrzej Duda, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, and the Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, General Wiesław Kukuła, participated in the task and accountability briefing of the leadership of the Ministry of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland. During the meeting, the tasks carried out in 2024 were summarized, and priorities for 2025 were presented.
Photos: Monika Dwulatek/WCEO
“This year, we want to do something that hasn’t been done for a long time. Together with the Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, we have prepared a proposal that will be implemented in 2025 – division-level exercises conducted at training grounds across Poland. This year, it will be the 18th Mechanized Division. The goal of these exercises is to integrate the new platforms that have been delivered to the Polish Armed Forces. This includes full integration across all operations, testing the quality of this equipment, as well as assessing the operational readiness of the Polish Armed Forces,” announced Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz during the annual briefing with the command staff of the Polish Armed Forces.
“The year 2025 will be another record-breaking year. The defense budget plan accounts for 4.7% of GDP. This is a budget dedicated to the security of the Polish state and the transformation of the armed forces. PLN 123.5 billion – plus a support fund of PLN 65.4 billion – amounts to nearly PLN 187 billion in total. These funds must be managed wisely and effectively because they come from our taxpayers, to whom I would like to express my sincere gratitude. These are times when there is no room for any cuts. On the contrary, we are talking about increasing these expenditures in the coming years. A 5% GDP allocation should be a goal for all allied countries,” said the Minister of National Defense during the briefing.
The Minister of National Defense also addressed the priorities regarding the expansion of the Polish Armed Forces and the development of new capabilities.
“We have set the limit for voluntary basic military service recruits at nearly 40,000. If necessary, just like last year, we are ready to increase this limit. We have also raised the admission quota for military schools. (…) We are improving the military recruitment process. This will be one of our main tasks. (…) A larger army also means greater responsibility for both physical and mental well-being,” said the Minister of National Defense.
Among the main operations carried out by the Polish Armed Forces in 2025, the Deputy Prime Minister highlighted Operation Phoenix, Safe Podlasie, and Baltic Sentry in the Baltic Sea, an initiative proposed by Poland.
Speaking about modernization, the Minister of National Defense emphasized that 2025 will be a year of upgrading the equipment currently in use by the Polish Armed Forces and acquiring new equipment. The modernization efforts will cover all domains.
“This will also be a year for the Polish Navy. Recent leadership meetings have been almost entirely dedicated to efforts for the Polish Navy. It’s not just about purchasing a new ship. We have signed a contract for Ratownik, a vessel that will serve both the military and, if necessary, assist in the rescue of civilian ships. (…) Yesterday, we proposed budget reallocations to improve equipment efficiency, particularly in this domain. One of the key issues we focused on in 2024 was the maintenance of existing equipment. Acquiring new equipment is very important, but we also recognize how crucial it is to maintain the equipment already in the army’s possession,” emphasized the Minister of National Defense.
Referring to the transformation of the Polish Armed Forces, the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that this process will continue.
“We will continue the transformation process. (…) In 2025, we will maintain the pace of transformation. The Armament Agency is currently implementing 396 contracts. Among the most important agreements we aim to conclude this year are the procurement of the new Borsuk infantry fighting vehicle, the Orka-class submarine, K2 tanks (second execution contract), the leasing of Apache helicopters, the modernization of F-16 aircraft, logistical security under the Wisła program, and Homar-A rocket launchers. (…) One of the key aspects of this transformation will be the implementation of lessons learned from the war in Ukraine. This presents a crucial task for the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces—to establish a special development unit in coordination with the Ministry of National Defense and all national security agencies. It is essential that we do not fall behind in applying these experiences,” emphasized the Minister of National Defense.
The Deputy Prime Minister reminded that legislative work is underway in the area of defense and security. He noted that a draft amendment to the Homeland Defense Act will soon be presented. Additionally, a law on compensation for veterans and a law on investments have also been prepared.
“For the past three years, Russia has been waging a full-scale, criminal aggression against Ukraine. This aggression continues to have a critical impact on the stability of our entire region. (…) We undoubtedly face many more security threats ahead,” said President Andrzej Duda during the briefing.
The President expressed his gratitude to the soldiers for their service in ensuring the security of Poland and its citizens. He gave special thanks to those serving on the border.
“I would like to express my gratitude to all Polish Armed Forces soldiers for their service—on missions, in military operations, at training grounds, in command structures, and within international organizations. In all these tasks, Polish soldiers have demonstrated professionalism, dedication, and commitment,” said Andrzej Duda.
He also reminded that Polish uniformed personnel are participating in Operation Safe Podlasie, protecting the Polish border from illegal migration orchestrated by the Belarusian regime, as well as helping residents of southern Poland combat the aftermath of last year’s flood.
The President of Poland pointed out that for almost three years, the Russian aggressor has been waging a brutal, full-scale war in Ukraine, and our region today faces a tangible and direct threat. In this context, Andrzej Duda expressed his appreciation for all those who, through 24/7 airspace surveillance, respond to the risk of violations of Poland’s borders.
“We also look with concern at the Baltic Sea, which is increasingly becoming a second front of potential confrontation for NATO,” the President stated, explaining that Polish soldiers, as part of Operation Baltic Sentry, are responsible for protecting critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.
“Poland has established itself as a key state for security, not only on the eastern flank but—without hesitation, I would say—for all of Europe. However, we must have no illusions about Moscow’s intentions in the coming years,” he noted.
He emphasized that despite the modernization of the Polish army and ongoing military procurements, every effort must continue to be made to strengthen our security through strong alliances with partners. He pointed out that “the era of free-riding allies—especially in matters of security—is over for good.” Andrzej Duda argued that NATO countries must increase their defense spending to 3% of GDP.
After the closed-door session of the meeting, during a joint press conference with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces Wiesław Kukuła, the President stated that the briefing provided an opportunity to summarize the past year and the current security situation, as well as to discuss plans for the coming years.
“We discussed the current situation, so I expressed my gratitude for all the modernization processes that have been carried out over the past years. We also talked about all the actions that are currently being implemented and those that have already been completed,” said Andrzej Duda, also emphasizing the need to develop our domestic defense industry.
He pointed out that in recent years, numerous military exercises involving state leadership and representatives of the Armed Forces have been conducted to test various systemic solutions. He added that the experiences and insights gained from these exercises will serve as a basis for legislative changes.
Summarizing the briefing, the President of Poland expressed satisfaction with the increasing defense expenditures. “I hope that this year’s defense budget plan, set at 4.7% of our GDP, will be effectively and efficiently implemented to enhance the security of the Republic and to strengthen this system.”
He also emphasized the importance of strengthening transatlantic cooperation, expressing hope that there will be more American investments here, on NATO’s eastern flank.
During the briefing, Andrzej Duda was accompanied by Chief of the Chancellery of the President, Małgorzata Paprocka, and Head of the National Security Bureau, Dariusz Łukowski.
The Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, General Wiesław Kukuła, emphasized that improving combat readiness and continuing changes related to the increase in troop numbers and the implementation of new equipment are the top priorities for the Polish Armed Forces this year.
“The first priority is improving combat readiness. We want to operationalize the already significant increase in troop numbers, as well as the growing presence of new equipment,” said General Kukuła.
The second priority is transformation and continuation of systemic changes—not just focused on acquiring equipment, but on a comprehensive approach to its implementation.
A key element of these changes will be the return to division-level exercises.
“This will be an exercise codenamed ‘Iron Defender.’ Its primary objective, among others, will be to assess how well we have integrated the platforms acquired so far. It will also help us determine how prepared we are for the greatest upcoming revolution—the arrival of the F-35A Husarz fighter jet in Polish airspace. This aircraft will revolutionize the entire system, the battle management model, and the information management framework within the armed forces,” emphasized General Kukuła.
More than 9,000 soldiers will take part in this exercise, including not only those from the 18th Mechanized Division but also personnel from subordinate units and the newly formed corps.
Summarizing the year 2024, General Kukuła stated that the Polish Armed Forces received a double positive evaluation. “First, because we achieved all our planned operational and training objectives. Second, because we managed to gain many valuable insights from the ongoing war in Ukraine,” he emphasized.
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