Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk hailed “a pivotal moment in the history of Poland and the European Union”, as his country has accelerated the modernization of its army in recent years in the face of the Russian threat.
This Friday, May 8, Poland became the first country to sign a loan agreement with the European Commission to finance the modernization of its army and its arms industry, under which it will receive nearly 44 billion euros.
“This is a pivotal moment in the history of Poland and the European Union,” declared Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk at the signing of the agreement.
“Poland will be safer in these difficult and high-risk times,” he added.
A program to finance joint defense projects
Neighboring Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, Poland has invested massively in recent years in the modernization of its armed forces and its defense industry, mobilizing billions of zlotys to counter a possible Russian threat. In 2026, its military spending must exceed 4.8% of GDP, making its budget one of the highest in NATO.
The European Union’s Security Action For Europe (SAFE) program, created in 2025, makes 150 billion euros available in the form of preferential loans to finance joint projects in defense, the purchase of weapons or ammunition, as well as the development of critical infrastructure.
With this 43.7 billion euro loan, Poland is the main beneficiary of the program, developed for European countries seeking to reinvigorate their defense industry in order to face the Russian threat and the risk of disengagement from the United States. “It is also the day when Europe (…) shows that it has learned the lessons of history and that it is ready (…) to assume much greater responsibility for our security,” commented Donald Tusk.
The agreement was signed by the Polish Ministers of Finance and Defense, as well as the European Budget Commissioner, Piotr Serafin, and the Defense Commissioner, Andrius Kubilius.
