18 countries apply for EU billions as Europe seeks to provide for its own security without the U.S.
BRUSSELS (AP) — Eighteen European Union countries have applied for billions of euros from a new defense fund aimed at helping Europe provide for its own security, the bloc’s executive branch said Wednesday, with Poland seeking more than a third of the money.
The Security Action for Europe (SAFE) fund is a 150-billion-euro ($173 billion) program of cheap loans that member countries, Ukraine and outsiders with an EU security agreement, like Britain, can use to buy military equipment together.
- The fund was launched after the Trump administration signaled that Europe is no longer a U.S. security priority.
- It’s for buying key equipment like air and missile defense systems, artillery, ammunition, drones and “strategic enablers” like air-to-air refueling.
The European Commission said that Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Spain had applied for money so far.
They have requested at least 127 billion euros ($147 billion) in total, it said.
Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said on Tuesday that his government has identified defense projects worth around 45 billion euros ($52 billion), but that the amount it receives will depend on how the commission allocates funds.
- Countries using the fund are urged to buy much of their military equipment in Europe, working mostly with European suppliers — in some cases with EU help to cut prices and speed up orders.
- Earlier this month, 15 EU countries were also permitted to use a “national escape clause” to allow them to spend more on defense without breaking the bloc’s debt rules.
Poland seeks $52.8B from new EU defense infrastructure fund
Poland has applied for up to €45 billion in EU SAFE loans to boost its military and defense capabilities.
The SAFE program, initiated under Poland's recent presidency of the EU Council, is considered a key component of Europe's push to rearm and prepare for emerging security challenges.
The EU budget backs loans issued through SAFE and can be used for both national and joint procurement of military equipment.
Non-EU countries, including Ukraine, Norway, Switzerland, and the UK, are also eligible to participate through special agreements.
Poland's €45bn defence loan bid makes up third of EU total
Poland's €45bn defence loan bid makes up third of EU total Eighteen member states have put in requests for Commission-issued loans to finance defence projects, with Poland asking for over a third of the total asked.The EU executive said on Wednesday that Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Finland had requested access to so-called SAFE loans by its soft deadline of 29 July.- The total money they requested amounts to €127 billion.
- Poland's deputy prime minister said the projects the country submitted to the Commission collectively had a price tag of "approximately €45 billion".
"We want the funds from this program to strengthen the key capabilities of the Polish Armed Forces and our security programs, including, among others, the "Eastern Shield" program," Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz wrote in a post on X.
"The final amount we receive will depend on the number of applications and the allocation of funds by the EC among member states. Securing these funds is a tangible investment in the security and development of our defence industry. It also strengthens the security, deterrence capabilities, and defence of the entire EU and NATO," he added.
Warsaw's defence spending has jumped from 2.7% of GDP in 2022 to 4.2% in 2024 - the highest level for any NATO ally. It is projected to rise to 4.7% this year.
The Commission's loans-for-weapons programme, dubbed SAFE, is a key plank of the 'Readiness 2030' proposal that aims to see hundreds of billions of euros invested into defence across the EU before the end of the decade.
- The EU's executive, which has a better credit rating than many member states, has planned to raise up to €150 billion on the markets through the scheme for member states to finance defence acquisitions together.
Defence and Space Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said in a statement that the "strong interest" in the scheme "demonstrates the EU’s unity and ambition in security and defence".
The deadline for formal submission is 30 November 2025, meaning the total number of member states wishing to tap into SAFE and the amount requested may grow with a Commission spokesperson telling Euronews that Kubilius is in touch with other member states and is "pretty confident that this figure will increase".
- To secure SAFE loans, the projects must include a European preference - whereby about two-thirds of value of the weapon system being acquired has to be made in an EU member state, Ukraine, or in a European Economic Area/European Free Trade Association country.
Several other third countries are however hoping to be able to participate at the same level as EU member states. These include the UK and Canada although they need to negotiate a bilateral agreement first which will include a financial contribution.
- Another condition for SAFE is that the projects must target priority capabilities including ammunition, drone and anti-drone systems, air defence, and military mobility among others.
Some member states for which upping military expenditure is a politically sensitive topic may decide to take up loans to finance acquisitions for Ukraine only. Other countries, like Germany, have indicated they may join SAFE procurement projects but finance them through their own coffers.
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