The agreement was signed by Polish Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak‑Kamysz and Finance Minister Andrzej Domański, while European Commissioners Piotr Serafin and Andrius Kubilius travelled to Warsaw to represent the European Commission. The ceremony ended months of domestic political uncertainty after Poland’s President, Karol Nawrocki, vetoed a dedicated law that would have enabled the government to take on the SAFE debt. The veto forced Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government to rely on an existing armed forces fund rather than a new financial mechanism, but the move did not block the loan contract itself.
Speaking after the signing, Tusk called the agreement “a breakthrough moment in the history of Poland and the EU” and said the funds would make Poland safer “in these difficult, highly risky times.” EU Commissioner Kubilius praised Poland as a leader in defending NATO’s eastern flank and stressed the need to produce far more defence equipment across Europe.
Poland is the largest beneficiary of the SAFE programme among 19 participating EU member states. Romania, France, Hungary, Italy, and Lithuania are among the other countries that have submitted plans to access the scheme, with allocations ranging from about €46.8 million to €16.7 billion. The programme designs the loans with a 45‑year repayment period and a 10‑year grace period on principal repayment, leveraging the EU’s credit rating to offer terms far cheaper than what many national budgets could obtain.
The Polish government has earmarked the €43.7 billion for more than 120 defence projects. Around 40 agreements are expected to be signed before the end of May 2026, covering anti‑drone systems, air defence, artillery, armoured vehicles, ammunition production, border fortifications and other priority fields. The ministry of finance said Poland would receive an initial advance of roughly 20 billion zloty (€4.7 billion) shortly after signing. Officials have promised to direct 89 percent of the spending to companies and workers inside Poland. The Polish Armaments Group is slated to receive substantial contracts, including investments in the San anti‑drone system, the Ratownik rescue vessel, and off‑road military ambulances.
Poland already leads NATO in defence spending as a share of gross domestic product, and its 2026 budget sets aside 4.8 percent of GDP for the military. The SAFE loans will add to accelerated national expenditure that covers tanks, artillery, air‑defence systems and a growing partnership with foreign manufacturers to expand domestic production. European Commission materials explain that SAFE funds must follow procurement rules that require no more than 35 percent of component costs to originate outside the EU, the European Economic Area, EFTA countries or Ukraine.
The signing also carries regional meaning. Later on Friday, EU commissioners were expected to travel to Lithuania for a similar signing ceremony. As more capitals finalise their own SAFE contracts, attention will turn to how quickly the funds translate into production lines, joint procurement, and a more coherent defence market within the Union.