Deputy prime minister on Poland's defense: 'We are determined not to become a Russian colony ever'

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Russia has its sights set on Ukraine, but neighboring Poland is on high alert, worried it could be next.

Last year, Poland shot down several Russian drones that violated Polish airspace. Now, Poland spends more of its GDP on defense than every other NATO country.

Eyewitness News Anchor David Ono met with Poland's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski on Tuesday during his visit to Los Angeles.

"You have a powerful army. You have been known for being a great military presence -- that was in WWII, it remains today. What is your philosophy in maintaining a strong army, especially considering where you are geopolitically?" David asked.

"Well, we have Napoleon Bonaparte in our National Anthem, and one of his memorale saying was that, 'A country that will not feed its own army will be fated to feed a foreign one.' And we have learned many times in the past that it's true. We've been invaded by Russia many times," Sikorski said. "So we are now spending 4.8% of our GDP on defense. We have 128 contracts with the U.S. to deliver us $65 billion worth of equipment. If you add our civil protection programs, it is close to 7% of GDP, because we are determined not to become a Russian colony ever."

Sikorski is speaking at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley on Tuesday night.

Reagan is a beloved political figure in Poland for bringing down the Berlin Wall and ushering in democracy to many Eastern European nations.