“Paweł Kowal openly admits there will be no new contracts with the U.S., meaning the order for 500 HIMARS is being scrapped,” wrote former Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak on Twitter. His comment comes in response to a piece published by the English-language outlet Politico, where Kowal offered a critical perspective on Poland’s defense cooperation with the United States.
To better understand the context, it’s worth quoting a more substantial excerpt from the Politico article. “Confidence in the USA has been severely shaken,” said Paweł Kowal, a close ally of Prime Minister Donald Tusk, in an interview with the outlet.
“I don’t think we will be placing any more major orders with the American arms industry for the time being after analyzing our experiences with what is happening now,” Kowal told Politico.
The article pointed out the significance of this statement, especially considering the scale of Poland’s defense procurement. In 2025 alone, the defense budget is projected at $47 billion, with more than half traditionally directed toward American-made systems. However, Kowal stressed that Poland now has to diversify its purchases and buy more from Europe or invest in domestic production.
While Kowal’s remarks have so far not sparked widespread reaction, Mariusz Błaszczak was quick to highlight their potential impact.
“BOOM! Everything checks out. Paweł Kowal openly admits there will be no new contracts with the U.S.—so the order for 500 HIMARS is going in the trash,” said the former Minister of National Defense.
“The Tusk government’s anti-American pivot carries serious consequences… Is this a prelude to breaking existing agreements with the U.S.? We’re talking about Patriots, F-35s, Abrams tanks, and Apache helicopters,” he added.