Poland to get 43.7 billion euros under EU's defence programme

WARSAW (Reuters) -Poland will get 43.7 billion euros ($51.3 billion) under a European Union programme to boost its defence capabilities, a deputy prime minister said on Tuesday, as Warsaw builds up its armed forces due to what it sees as an increased Russian threat.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine and U.S. President Donald Trump's insistence that Europe take more responsibility for its own security prompted Brussels to form the 150 billion euro Security Action for Europe (SAFE) fund.

The money allocated to Poland means that it will be the biggest beneficiary of the scheme.

"This decision is a great success for Poland and a guarantee of further investments in security and development of our defence industry," Deputy Prime Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, who serves as defence minister, wrote on X.

"We want the funds from this program to strengthen the key capabilities of the Polish Armed Forces, air and missile defense, artillery systems, ammunition purchases, drones, and anti-drone systems. It will also support critical infrastructure, military mobility, and cyberspace."

Poland is the biggest spender on its armed forces relative to the size of its economy in NATO, and plans to spend 4.8% of GDP on defence in 2026.

($1 = 0.8514 euros)

(Reporting by Alan Charlish, Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk; Editing by Hugh Lawson)