"I would like Spain to heed this call, I would like Italy and France to hear it even more strongly, this call to increase defence spending, as Poland, Germany and the Scandinavian countries have done," Kosiniak-Kamysz said in an interview.

"The more Europe invests, the more seriously and respectfully America will treat us in these areas," he added.

The NATO and EU member, which borders Russia and its close ally Belarus, has heavily ramped up its defence spending since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

It is NATO's largest spender in percentage terms, allocating 4.8 percent of its GDP to defence in its 2026 budget. At a summit last year, NATO members agreed to increase defence spending from two percent to five percent by 2035.

France spent 2.05 percent of its GDP on defence in 2025 -- just over NATO's old target -- while Italy spent 2.01 percent, and Spain 2 percent.