Poland wants 100,000 volunteers to take part in military training in 2027

WARSAW (Reuters) - Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Tuesday the government wants to launch a new programme to offer voluntary military training from next year, with a target to train 100,000 volunteers in 2027.

"The most important thing for us is that every person interested can participate in such training no later than 2026. And that is a difficult task, but I know it is doable," Tusk said ahead of a government sitting.

"In 2027 we will achieve the ability to train 100,000 volunteers per year... Apart from the professional army and beyond the Territorial Defence Force, we must de facto build an army of reservists and our actions will serve this purpose."

The government backed giving military training to all adult males last week as Warsaw prepares for threats from Moscow.

Galvanised by Russia's invasion of neighbouring Ukraine three years ago, Poland now spends a higher proportion of GDP on defence than any other NATO member.

Tusk said that as an incentive, the government would analyse the possibility of, for example, getting a professional driving license, including for heavy goods vehicles, during the military training.

"This will be useful in the event of war, but it will also be useful in life for those who are interested in such qualifications," he said. The government is also considering providing specialist training to specific professional groups.

Tusk later said in a post on social media platform X that he told ministers that government members and officials would also undergo training on a voluntary basis, which, he said, was met with full understanding.

(Reporting by Pawel Florkiewicz and Alan Charlish; Writing by Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk, editing by Ed Osmond and Sharon Singleton)