The financing was formalized this week through the U.S. Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program, which extends credit guarantees so allied nations can purchase American-made defense equipment. U.S. Under Secretary of State Thomas DiNanno, who took part in the signing, said the agreement pushes total American support for Poland through FMF to nearly USD 20 billion (EUR 17 million).
"Poland is not just a trusted partner, it is a model ally of the United States", DiNanno said, adding that the growing volume of financing reflects an increasingly robust partnership between Washington and Warsaw.
Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, who signed the agreement on Poland's behalf, said the funds would be used responsibly. Access to the program itself, he noted, is not automatic: FMF requires sign-off from the U.S. government and is reserved for its closest allies. Any specific equipment purchase made under the loan must also receive separate American approval, he said.
Kosiniak-Kamysz framed the loan as part of a longer pattern of mutual support between the two militaries, pointing back to Poland's role after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, when NATO invoked its Article 5 mutual-defense clause and Polish forces subsequently deployed alongside American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.
"It is genuinely remarkable that our alliance is not just dressed up in words, not just rich in declarations, but is in fact rich in joint action", he said.
(jh)
Source: Polish Radio