Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 24, 2026
2 min readLast updated: March 24, 2026
Add as preferred source on GooglePoland is prioritising the EU’s SAFE defence‑funding programme—targeting a €43.7–44 billion allocation—for urgent low‑cost loans to boost its security, and is also engaging at technical level in discussions on other joint defence‑financing mechanisms.
By Karin Strohecker
LONDON, March 24 (Reuters) - Poland is prioritising a European Union defence-funding programme, but is also part of technical working groups exploring other financing mechanisms, Finance Minister Andrzej Domanski said on Tuesday.
Domanski said the EU's Security Action for Europe (SAFE) scheme provides cheap financing and is essential to Poland's security in the face of the threat from Russia.
"Right now, we are focused on the SAFE programme - it's our priority," Domanski said on the sidelines of a visit to London. "It's close to 44 billion euros available for us immediately."
Asked about other defence-financing efforts such as a push by Britain, Finland and the Netherlands to team up on defence financing and procurement, Domanski said Poland was engaged in working groups on a technical level.
"We are also participating in the discussions," he said.
Countries are scrambling to ramp up defence financing and procurement as security threats and conflicts intensify worldwide, with Russia's war in Ukraine in its fourth year and the conflict in the Middle East showing few signs of abating.
The UK-Finland-Netherlands push, referred to by Domanski as the Multilateral Defence Mechanism, is one of several competing initiatives aimed at channelling more private cash into rearming nations.
Canada has been leading a recent push for a new multilateral defence bank - the Defence, Security and Resilience Bank, or DSRB - as part of Prime Minister Mark Carney's effort to bolster co-operation between NATO members and other allies.
"Originally comparing those two, I find this MDM much more interesting," said Domanski, declining to elaborate.
(Reporting by Karin Strohecker. Editing by Mark Potter)
Poland is prioritising the European Union's SAFE scheme, which offers almost 44 billion euros in immediate financing.
Yes, Poland is part of technical working groups exploring alternative defence financing mechanisms, including the UK-Finland-Netherlands Multilateral Defence Mechanism.
The SAFE scheme aims to provide cheap financing to bolster EU security, particularly important for Poland in response to threats from Russia.
Britain, Finland, Netherlands, and Canada are collaborating with Poland on multilateral defence financing discussions and initiatives.
The DSRB is a proposed multilateral defence bank led by Canada to enhance cooperation between NATO members and allies.
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