By Jim Morris, Warrior Vice President, News
Poland has agreed to buy $2 billion worth of American-made military equipment such as F-35 fighters, Patriot air-defense systems and M-1 Abrams tanks – and the Poles will pay for it with a loan from the US.
The State Department announced the deal, which is covered by the Foreign Military Financing program, saying it will further strengthen NATO’s eastern flank. It’s the second $2 billion loan to Poland in less than a year.
In a press release, US officials highlighted what they see as Poland’s contributions during the war between Russia and Ukraine, with whom Poland shares a 332 mile border. “Poland is a leader in NATO, currently spending four percent of GDP on defense, the highest in the alliance. Poland hosts thousands of US and Allied forces, including US V Corps (Forward) in Poznan,” the release said.
That facility in Poznan is Poland’s first permanent military outpost. Since 2014, the US has sent troops to Poland to train with the Polish military. In 2022, 4,700 American paratroopers were dispatched to build encampments and conduct training exercises.
The US will pay up to $60 million to subsidize the interest rate cost of the loan. According to the State Department, the military financing loans are a tool reserved for some of the US’s most important security cooperation partners.
Poland has boosted military spending since the Russian invasion of neighboring Ukraine, which raised concerns that Vladimir Putin might eventually have Warsaw in his sights. Warsaw has already bought Patriot systems, along with Apache and Blackhawk helicopters and the HIMARS rocket launch systems.
Poland also agreed to buy $13.7 billion worth of weapons from South Korea – that country’s biggest defense deal ever. The package includes FA-50 fighter planes, K2 tanks, K9 self-propelled howitzers and Chunmoo rocket launchers.
Meanwhile, Poland wants to increase enlistments. It has launched a program called Holidays with the Army, which offers a paid, 28-day boot camp to those over 18. Authorities say more young people signed up for the program than expected.
Earlier this week, Poland and Ukraine signed what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called an unprecedented security agreement. Ukraine says it will explore new ways of shooting down Russian planes and drones that are heading for Poland through Ukrainian airspace. Plus, a new Ukrainian volunteer military unit will be trained in Poland.
Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk has warned that Russia defeats Ukraine, all of Europe is in danger.
“We are living in the most critical moment since the end of the Second World War,” Tusk said in March, days after Putin said Russia had “no aggressive intentions” toward members of NATO.
Still, Putin has said that if Ukraine used American-made F-16 fighters from bases in other countries, they would become “legitimate targets, wherever they might be located.”
