Poland and Lithuania condemn Irish proposal to slash EU defence budget
Poland’s defence minister rejected Ireland’s plan to cut the EU defence line by 13%, joining criticism from Lithuania.
The Irish EU presidency proposed a €113.7 billion budget for the European Competitiveness Fund, down from the Commission’s €131 billion draft, and also suggested trimming €2 billion from the Connecting Europe Facility’s €17.6 billion military-mobility allocation. Poland’s defence minister dismissed the 13 % cut to the EU defence line as unacceptable, arguing it fails to address threats faced by eastern European states.
He highlighted recent hybrid incidents targeting Poland and recent foiled assassination attempts on himself and Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Lithuania’s vice-minister for foreign affairs similarly lamented the “considerable cuts” to defence, security and mobility funding. Poland, a major recipient of SAFE loans, expects to seek additional EU funds to support its defence industry, though no specific programme was named.
Why it matters
Cuts to EU defence funding could weaken collective security on Europe’s eastern border.
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