{"id":173317,"date":"2026-01-28T12:35:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T09:35:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/173317\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"poland-to-spend-138-million-on-east-shield-border-security-project","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/173317\/","title":{"rendered":"Poland to spend $138 million on East Shield border security project"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n (strazgraniczna.pl)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

January 28, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> Warsaw plans to spend nearly $138 million this year on the East Shield program to fortify its eastern border, the General Staff of the Polish Army said in a recent report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year, Poland allocated $247 million to cover defense needs, according to the report. This amount does not include EU funding. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Poland is also awaiting a decision by the European Union on the SAFE (Security Action for Europe)\u00a0instrument designed to provide financial support to member states to step up defense capabilities. Of the 139 projects Poland submitted, 26 are linked to the East Shield.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2025, Polish authorities reinforced border crossings and carried out engineering and technical works along a 60-kilometer stretch of the Polish border as part of the East Shield. This year, security measures will be extended to cover more than 200 km of the border with engineering protections designed for almost 260 kilometers of the border.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Poland is procuring modern reconnaissance and combat equipment, including the acquisition of an anti-aircraft system capable of neutralizing unmanned aerial vehicles, the report noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two months ago, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the EU would allocate nearly \u20ac44 billion for the East Shield program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have finally persuaded the whole Europe that East Shield, like our eastern border, is the common responsibility of the EU. Europe finally treats it as the place we invest European money, not only our Polish,\u201d he stressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

East Shield, designed to fortify about 700 km of the Polish border, including 400 km of the border with Belarus, before 2028, is the largest program to strengthen Poland\u2019s eastern border since 1945.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The EU\u2019s effort to secure its western flank met with an angry response from Minsk, which accused the bloc of pursuing \u201can aggressive and overtly militaristic policy,\u201d citing rising military expenditures and attempts to portray Belarus as a threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In February 2022, Russia started a full-scale war against Ukraine in which the Belarusian authorities supported the Kremlin, allowing Russian troops to attack Ukraine from Belarus on multiple occasions and supplying arms to Moscow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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