The United States has signed an agreement to provide Poland with a further $4 billion loan for weapons purchases, according to Defense Express, an outlet that covers Ukrainian and regional defence news. The credit falls under Washington's Foreign Military Financing (FMF) programme, which lends money to allied governments to buy American-made arms and military equipment.
The Polish government's press service confirmed the signing but did not disclose how the money would be spent. Officials stressed that the European Union's SAFE defence loan scheme does not compete with the American FMF programme but complements it.
Polish deputy minister details spending plans
The following day, Polish outlet Defence24 reported that Poland's deputy defence minister, Paweł Bejda, laid out plans for the $4 billion. He said the funds are currently being used to finance Barbara reconnaissance balloons.
Ukrainian analysts at Defense Express said the fuller list of planned purchases is longer, and includes financing for AH-64E Apache helicopters, the modernisation of F-16 fighter jets, and the Wisła project, which covers launchers and missiles for the Patriot air defence system. Bejda also said he would push for the purchase of heavy transport helicopters.
Poland's US credit reaches $11 billion since 2022
Defense Express reported that, excluding the new deal, Poland has received more than $7 billion in credits from the United States since 2022. Last year there were doubts in Poland over whether further funding could be secured, but the new $4 billion agreement brings the total to $11 billion since 2022.
The outlet also noted that Poland is the largest beneficiary of the EU's SAFE programme, under which it has secured a loan of 43.7 billion euros, roughly $50.8 billion.
Background to Poland's defence build-up
Poland, a NATO member bordering Ukraine, has sharply increased defence spending and arms purchases since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. The Foreign Military Financing programme is a long-running US mechanism for lending or granting funds to foreign governments specifically to buy American defence equipment, while the SAFE programme is a separate EU instrument set up to help member states finance defence procurement through loans.
