Poland has announced that it will increase its defense budget in 2001 by 1.4% to $3.3 billion. This is, however, short of the 2.1% of Gross National Product that Poland promised NATO. This year's smaller budget was 2.02% of GNP but the 2001 budget reflects only 1.87% of GNP. Poland insists that it is spending as much money as it promised, but that the economy has grown faster than expected.--Stephen V Cole