Speaking at an annual military commanders' briefing in Warsaw on Wednesday, attended by senior defence ministry officials and army officers, Nawrocki said Poland must have guarantees that SAFE funds would not be "frozen or suspended".
He pointed to conditionality rules as a potential threat to Poland's freedom to spend the money as it sees fit, and warned that "no preamble or collective declaration by parliament" could remove that risk.
The president called for the full disclosure of 139 projects earmarked under the scheme, saying Poles have a right to know the true cost and conditions of the commitment.
He also questioned whether Polish defence manufacturers could scale up production lines quickly enough to absorb the loans before the 2030 spending deadline, warning that domestic firms could end up acting mainly as intermediaries purchasing weapons from other EU partners.
Defence minister pushes back
Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, who attended the same briefing, pushed back firmly.
He said the European Commission "does not tell any member state what to buy" under SAFE, and that none of Poland's proposed projects had been struck from its implementation.
He described claims circulating about the programme as outright "lies" and declared Poland a clear winner, pointing out that the scheme was conceived during Poland's EU Council presidency and that Warsaw stands to be its single largest beneficiary.
He argued that a sovereign and independent Poland could only be guaranteed if three pillars of security were in place: "a strong army, strong alliances, and national unity".
Before the briefing, Kosiniak-Kamysz said he planned to raise SAFE directly with the president and push back against opposition claims that it was a bad deal for Poland.
He described as "hypocritical" suggestions that Polish loan money would ultimately flow to Germany.
The remarks come amid a broader political row over the programme.
Last week, Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that blocking SAFE would hit "the very heart" of national security, and urged all decision-makers not to waste time given the current geopolitical climate.
Jarosław Kaczyński, leader of the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, has called on Nawrocki to veto the bill entirely.
What is SAFE?
SAFE provides up to EUR 150 billion in low-interest EU loans for military procurement.
Poland is set to receive about EUR 44 billion, with the government saying over 80 percent would be spent within Poland's defence industry, funding projects including the Eastern Shield border system, drones, anti-drone systems, and air defence batteries.
Repayments would begin in ten years and run until 2070.
The Sejm, Poland's lower house of parliament, is due to vote on the legislation on Friday, after the Senate passed its amendments.
A recent poll published by the daily Rzeczpospolita found 58 percent of Poles want the president to sign the bill into law.
(ał)
Source: IAR, PAP