Speaking at the start of a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Tusk called SAFE "a major European programme of very cheap, practically cost-free, loans."
He added that, while "nothing is truly free," the programme offers highly favourable repayment terms and that Poland is its largest beneficiary.
Tusk said the EUR 43.7 billion allocated to Poland would help finance drone purchases and the country's planned Eastern Shield defence project along its border with Belarus and Russia.
He said the project was "a shared responsibility of the entire EU" and "must be funded with European money, not just Polish resources."
He said SAFE funding would also support aerospace projects, the development of artificial intelligence for defence, cybersecurity efforts and the "Safe Baltic" programme.
The money will go toward equipment for the armed forces, police and Border Guard, he added.
Tusk said the initiative would also help pay for internal security projects, including roads and rail lines linked to national defence.
“This is not only a matter of our immediate military security—it is a major development programme," he said, adding that the funding would strengthen Poland’s defence industry, especially its most innovative sectors, and "bring benefits for the entire economy."
The Security Action for Europe (SAFE) programme, created during Poland’s EU presidency earlier this year, is designed to strengthen Europe's defence industry amid Russia's military buildup.
Poland's EUR 43.7 billion share is the largest portion of the EUR 150 billion initiative, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.
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Source: IAR, PAP