Poland Will Receive The First Advance From The SAFE Defense Fund In The Coming Days
- 12.05.2026, 13:22
We are talking about 6.5 billion euros.
Poland in the coming days should receive an advance from the EU loan fund for SAFE rearmament. This was announced in Brussels by Polish Deputy Minister of National Defense Pawel Zalewski. We are talking about 6.5 billion euros.
"All formal requirements have already been met, and today it is already just a matter of administrative decisions. Therefore, we assume that in the coming days we should expect this 15%," said the deputy head of the Polish Defense Ministry.
The transfer of the advance became possible after Poland became the first in the European Union to sign a loan agreement with the European Commission under the SAFE program. From the total fund for rearmament of 150 billion euros, Poland is to receive almost one third - 43.7 billion euros.
The SAFE program provides support in the form of, in particular, low-interest loans. The funds are intended primarily for the purchase of military equipment, especially those produced in Europe. The money allocated to Poland should be used to finance defense projects envisaged in the Polish investment plan.
The funds will be used, among other things, for the implementation of the Eastern Shield program, the development of counter-drone systems, air defense, artillery, as well as for the modernization of transport infrastructure of military importance.
According to government statements, 89% of the funds are to go to Polish industry and economy.
According to EU regulations, until the end of May, member states can self-order weapons under the SAFE program. After that deadline, they will have to find partner countries for each purchase. For Poland, this is a particularly important deadline, as Warsaw intends to place most of its planned purchases with the Polish defense industry.
In mid-March, President Karol Nawrocki vetoed a law implementing SAFE. The document provided for the creation of a special fund where EU funds were to flow. In response to the presidential veto, the government adopted a decree on the Armed Poland program, which authorizes the Minister of National Defense, as well as the Minister of Finance and Economy, to sign on behalf of the government the agreement and documents concerning the SAFE loan.