WARSAW

Poland will pursue an alternative route to access billions in European defense financing after President Karol Nawrocki vetoed legislation enabling Poland to draw nearly €44 billion ($51 billion) in loans from the EU’s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) scheme, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Friday.

Speaking after an extraordinary cabinet meeting, Tusk said the presidential veto would complicate but not derail plans to use funds from the EU’s SAFE mechanism to strengthen Poland’s defense capabilities.

“The veto limits our possibilities, but it will not block our determination to reinforce Poland’s security,” Tusk said, announcing that the government would now seek to implement a “Plan B.”

Under the new approach, the government is considering transferring funds linked to the SAFE program directly into the defense ministry’s budget rather than through the legislative mechanism blocked by the president.

The dispute between the government and the presidency escalated after Nawrocki vetoed the bill on Thursday, prompting sharp criticism from Tusk, who accused the president of failing to act “like a patriot” at a time of heightened security threats in Europe.

According to Polish broadcaster RMF FM, which first reported details of the government’s contingency planning, officials in Brussels are closely watching the standoff and fear that delays could complicate the implementation of projects tied to Europe’s broader defense strategy.

The European Commission has not publicly criticized the veto, but officials quoted by RMF FM said privately that uncertainty surrounding Poland’s participation in SAFE could create confusion for defense planning across the EU.

Polish news portal Onet reported that the dispute has raised concerns about the stability of Poland’s defense financing at a time when the country is rapidly expanding its armed forces and military infrastructure along NATO’s eastern flank.

The SAFE scheme is part of the EU’s efforts to increase defense investment across member states through joint borrowing and preferential loans, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Poland, which borders Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia’s Kaliningrad region, is expected to be one of the largest beneficiaries of the initiative. The government has argued that access to the funds would support military modernization, infrastructure projects, and broader efforts to strengthen the EU’s eastern defenses.

Despite the political confrontation, Tusk insisted the government would continue seeking ways to secure the funding. “Poland’s security cannot depend on political obstruction,” he said.