The United States has announced a $2 billion (8.7 billion zloty) loan to Poland to support the modernization of the Polish military through the acquisition of American

equipment and services.

The State Department stated, "Poland is a steadfast US ally, and Poland's security is crucial to the collective defense of NATO's eastern flank. Poland has demonstrated its unwavering commitment to enhancing regional security through substantial investments in defense spending."

In order to bolster these efforts, the US has entered into a significant foreign military financing direct loan agreement, providing $2 billion. This funding will expedite Poland's defense modernization by facilitating the urgent procurement of defense items and services from the United States. The US government will cover up to $60 million of the loan's costs.

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Poland has embarked on a defense procurement spree. It has placed orders for numerous Abrams tanks from the US, Patriot air defense systems, HIMARS rocket launchers, and F-35 combat aircraft, among other items.

During a visit to Boeing's US headquarters, Poland's defense minister, Mariusz Błaszczak, approved an agreement for the purchase of 96 Apache helicopters for the Polish military.

In the past year, Poland has also inked substantial deals with South Korea, totaling billions of dollars, to acquire over 1,000 K2 tanks, 672 K9 self-propelled howitzers, 48 FA-50 light combat aircraft, and 288 K239 Chunmoo rocket artillery launchers.

To cover these expenses, Poland increased its defense budget to 3% of GDP in 2022 and raised it to 4% this year, making it the highest relative rate in NATO. Photo by Maciej Baranowski, Wikimedia commons.