General Roman Polko, former head of the elite GROM unit, said on private broadcaster TVN24 that blocking the SAFE bill was "a blow not just to the Polish army, but to our security."
He argued there were "no rational arguments" against the plan, which was developed by General Staff officers to address the armed forces' equipment needs in light of Russia's war in Ukraine.
Nawrocki announced last Thursday he would not sign the SAFE legislation, triggering a legal and political dispute over the EU scheme.
The government responded the following day by passing a resolution allowing the defence and finance ministries to sign the loan agreement directly.
'Enemy at the gates'
Polko warned that the president's decision would also affect border guards, police and other services, hampering logistics chains critical to national defence.
He added that Poland was "the only country to have turned SAFE into a political issue."
Addressing the president directly, Polko said: "It's not too late. Please trust the generals – the army needs this money now, not in a year's time. The enemy is at the gates."
(ał)
Source: tvn24.pl