Story perspectives

Poland secures €44 billion EU defence loans for Safe program

By Drooid · Sep 27, 2026, 10:55 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Poland’s government, led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, secured €44 bn EU defence loans.
The Safe programme provides the EU’s largest €44 bn defence loan, 90% for domestic firms.
State-owned Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ) partnered with Babcock to build new frigates at Gdynia.
BAE Systems and PGZ subsidiary Mesko will open an artillery plant near Katowice, targeting 200,000 shells yearly by 2025.

History

Historical Context

Poland’s 1999 NATO accession on 12 March marked the first post-Cold War east-ward enlargement, aligning Warsaw with the United States and United Kingdom. After the 2008 US-Poland missile-defence pact, Prime Minister Donald Tusk secured a €44 billion defence loan in 2024, partnering Babcock and BAE Systems to produce 200,000 artillery shells per year by 2025, reinforcing Europe’s strategic autonomy.

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Story summary

Poland’s government, led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, secured €44 bn EU defence loans.
The Safe programme provides the EU’s largest €44 bn defence loan, 90% for domestic firms.
State-owned Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ) partnered with Babcock to build new frigates at Gdynia.
BAE Systems and PGZ subsidiary Mesko will open an artillery plant near Katowice, targeting 200,000 shells yearly by 2025.

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