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Ursula von der Leyen: "This is the border that we must protect"

Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Republic of Poland

31.08.2025

Prime minister Donald Tusk and the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen have visited Krynki (Podlaskie voivodeship), the Polish-Belarussian border, on Sunday (August 31). Security and defence, including protection of the EU eastern border were the main topics.

The visit to the border had begun with an operational briefing at the Border Guard station in Krynki. The minister of national defence was represented by secretary of state Cezary Tomczyk, the Armed Forces were represented by deputy chief of the General Staff, lieutenant general Stanisław Czosnek, chief of the military engineering branch of the Armed Forces General Command, division general Marek Wawrzyniak. Representatives of the Police and Border Guard command structures have also attended the briefing.

Apart from security and defence of the EU eastern border, another topic of discussion was the SAFE programme of preferential loans, which is one of the elements of a plan to rearm Europe, created in part as a response to Russia developing its military potential.
After the operational briefing, Donald Tusk and Ursula von der Leyen have visited the place of storing the elements used to build the "Eastern Shield", and then the modernized metal border barrier - near which a press conference was held at the conclusion of the meeting.
Von der Leyen: 800 bln euro assigned for defensive planning can and should be invested by 2030.

- We have proposed a tenfold increase of funding for military mobility and more than a fivefold increase for military investment. This is a long-term budget with a clear focus, stressing the importance of military matters, military mobility and border security - von der Leyen has said - We also have to reach the moment when this budget starts to function in the long term, and we have to take care of defensive investment right now. The first topic here is financial support - she added.
Von der Leyen: 150 bln euro for the SAFE programme; Poland as the biggest beneficiary

Von der Leyen has reminded that the instrument of shared procurement - the SAFE programme - was also accelerated. - This is 150 bln euro for joint procurement. It serves to make our home, the European Union, stronger and more secure - she stressed and added that 19 countries have already applied for participation in the SAFE programme, and Poland will be its biggest beneficiary. - On the one hand we can use these 150 bln euro from the SAFE programme for our joint procurement, strengthening our industrial base, but we can also use them to invest in the industrial base of Ukraine, as it is critically important for us that Ukraine stays strong, that our neighbourhood is strong and protected. - she concluded.
The SAFE programme of preferential loans was established during the Polish chairmanship of the Council of the European Union, and it was advocated for by the Polish presidency. It is one of the elements of a plan to rearm Europe, created in part as a response to Russia developing its military potential.

Ursula von der Leyen said that at the time of the Polish presidency, budget flexibility matters were also settled.
- Poland now has the highest spending in Europe, but you have applied for budget flexibility and, just like for 15 other countries, it was granted - said von der Leyen.
The president of the European Commission has stressed that Putin is "a predator that has started four wars over the last 25 years" and that "He can only be checked by strong deterrence". She noted that the first line of defence is the Ukrainian army, the next is the "coalition of the willing", and "the most important line of defence is our own defence".
The president of the European Commission's visit to Poland was part of a series of visits to countries bordering Russia and Belarus, which began on Friday. Overall, Ursula von der Leyen will visit seven countries: Estonia, Lithuania, Finland, Latvia, Poland, Bulgaria and Romania.