Poland is discussing ways of clubbing together with the UK and other European nations to drive up defence production while obtaining better value for taxpayers, its finance minister has said, as the continent responds to US pressure to bolster its military power.

Andrzej Domański said it was “crystal clear” that European countries had to take more responsibility for their own security by spending “more and more wisely”, adding that he had discussed “new tools” for defence spending with UK chancellor Rachel Reeves at a meeting in London on Wednesday.

He said Poland, which holds the rotating EU presidency, had invited Reeves for further discussions at a meeting of European finance ministers in Warsaw next month, alongside Jens Stoltenberg, the Norwegian finance minister and former Nato secretary-general.