Tusk: Poland is a leader when it comes to Europe's security and future

Speaking at the European Economic Congress, a meeting of politicians and business figures in Katowice, Tusk praised the European Union's unanimity on key challenges as well as Poland's role in the bloc.

According to Tusk, "never in the history of the European Union have the institutions and political leaders been so unanimous when it comes to priorities, to what is most important, to what needs to be done in Europe, in Poland, in all the other countries here and now, without a moment's hesitation".

"Today's Poland is a leader in matters related with Europe's future, the future of all Europeans, ranging from security to the commonsensical attitude towards what the European institutions, procedures are for, (and) how the European funds should be spent," the prime minister added.

Tusk stressed it was in Poland that hope for freedom and independence in this part of Europe had been born. "It was Poland that sent a very strong message that Europe, democracy, freedom, the law are not just empty words, but huge values worth living and working for."

In his view, Poland is a leader "in something absolutely priceless and something we can be proud of, ... it is Europe's leader in something that's so elusive, that spirit of freedom, that faith in the power of democracy, sometimes in spite of circumstances".

In the face of the conflict in Ukraine, Poland is strengthening its defence capabilities, allocating over 4% of its Gross Domestic Product. Tusk told the congress in Katowice that EU countries should take joint action to increase spending on defence by at least 100 billion euros ($107 billion). "Europe must be prepared in the next dozen or so months and the entire next five years for a situation in which no power in the world will dare raise a hand against it," he said. "Big money will move the war away from Europe's borders for a long time, perhaps permanently."

According to Tusk, a joint air defence "must become a European project that will be a financial effort to build a dome over Europe".

"We have many more initiatives and meetings than real actions to defend the European sky." The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who attended the congress, also said Europe must spend more on defence, and declared that if she remains in office for another term she will propose new defence projects. She promoted a previously announced proposal for the creation of a full-time EU defence commissioner, who would help support the European defence industry.

WATCH THE FULL SPEECH BY URSULA VON DER LEYEN BELOW