Poland's Tusk vows to use EU defense loans despite president's veto

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Poland's Tusk vows to use EU defense loans despite president's veto

2026-03-13 20:51 Last Updated At：21:00

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk vowed on Friday to find ways to tap into 43.7 billion euros ($50.1 billion) in defense loans from the European Union despite a veto by the country's president against a law enabling access to the funds.

Poland was set to be the largest beneficiary of the EU's 150 billion-euro Security Action for Europe initiative, or SAFE, which is designed to boost Europe's defense readiness at a time when the U.S. has been diminishing its role in the continent’s security.

But President Karol Nawrocki, who has positioned himself as a main opponent of Tusk, said Thursday he is vetoing the legislation allowing Poland to access the EU defense loans.

“Poland is in shock,” Tusk said Friday. “People are wondering if this is treason, the work of lobbyists, or a lack of common sense.”

Tusk said the presidential veto will not prevent the Polish government from taking advantage of the defense funds, but “it will be more difficult, sometimes slower, and it will take much more effort to convince everyone involved in this project.”

A European Commission spokesman said on Friday that the EU was determined to continue implementing the plans it had made with Poland “without delay.” An advance payment could be made as early as April, he said.

Successive Polish governments have boosted the country's defense spending since Russia’s full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine in 2022. But while Tusk's liberal government wants to coordinate efforts with the EU, the nationalist Nawrocki has proven more euro-skeptic and maintained a friendlier rapport with the Trump administration.

Nawrocki argues that Poland's participation in SAFE will indebt Poles and increase the country's dependency on Germany.

On Tuesday, he proposed an alternative draft law suggesting national resources that could be used instead of European loans to pay for further investments in defense. Tusk has dismissed that option as unrealistic.

The U.S. has also openly criticized SAFE.

“The United States has expressed concerns about how EU defense initiatives like Security Action for Europe and the European Defense Industry Program restrict market access for American companies,” Andrew Puzder, the U.S. ambassador to the EU, and Matthew Whitaker, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, wrote in an opinion piece published in February by Politico Europe.

Such European programs “undermine collective defense” by limiting competition, stifling innovation and depriving U.S. companies of necessary orders, they wrote.

Goncalves scores in OT, Lightning beat Canadiens to force Game 7

MONTREAL (AP) — Gage Goncalves scored off his own rebound at 9:03 of overtime and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Montreal Canadiens 1-0 on Friday night to force a Game 7 in the first-round series.

Goncalves scored soon after the Lightning killed scoring star Nikita Kucherov's penalty for tripping Alexandre Carrier.

“It was thrilling. It was epic,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “It was goaltenders making extraordinary saves, players doing things that were of grace and skill and magic. And there was intensity. There were hits. It was everything. And there wasn’t a goal scored, yet everybody in the building was on the edge of their seats.”

Game 7 is Sunday in Tampa. The Lightning are trying to avoid a fourth consecutive first-round exit, while the Canadiens are chasing their first series victory in five years.

The series winner will face Buffalo. The Sabres wrapped up their series with Boston in six games Friday night with a 4-1 road victory

Andrei Vasilevskiy made 30 saves for Tampa Bay for his eighth career playoff shutout.

“I didn’t have much emotions,” Vasilevskiy said. “I mean for the fans it was probably a roller-coaster, but for me it was pretty even.”

Jakub Dobes stopped 32 shots for Montreal. The first three games of the series also went to overtime.

The game was the second in three days to go to overtime scoreless, with Philadelphia beating Pittsburgh 1-0 on Wednesday night to end that series in six games. Before the season, the last 0-0 playoff game in regulation was in 2021.

“It was an amazing game of hockey. I think the two teams played their best game of the series,” Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said. “This is probably one of the best games I’ve seen this young group play. You’ve just got to embrace the situation.”

Dobes and the Canadiens survived a flurry of shots on a late power play. The Lightning got the man advantage after Ivan Demidov broke in on Vasilevskiy, failed to score and was called for goalie interference.

Late in the second — with the Lightning’s Charle-Edouard D’Astous off for slashing Phillip Danault — Vasilevskiy stopped Demidov twice from close range.

“I think we found out we’ve got the best goalie in the world. I think we already knew that, but he was incredible,” Lightning forward Brandon Hagel said. “That’s just one thing off your mind. You don’t have to worry about that big guy back there.:

Tampa Bay had a power-play chance early in the third after Kaiden Guhle was called for slashing Jake Guentzel. On the Lightning’s best chance, Nikita Kucherov fired a shot off the post.

Montreal had only one shot on goal on a power play to start the second period with Guentzel off for high-sticking Guhle with 11 seconds left in the first.

Danault kept it scoreless a few minutes later when he swept the puck away before it could cross the goal line. Montreal then killed Alexandre Texier’s high-sticking penalty.

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