On Monday, EU leaders gathered in Brussels for an informal defence summit. Before heading to the meeting, Prime Minister Donald Tusk confidently declared that “Europe must finance the Eastern Shield.” According to him, a decision had already been made in December to allocate 100 million euros to this project. But once the summit ended, the official reports had no concrete confirmation of this so-called funding.
More Political Theater from Tusk?
Tusk assured the public that “Poland’s efforts to protect the EU’s eastern border were understood by all.” But if that were true, why hasn’t the European Commission or any EU member state officially confirmed it?
Law and Justice (PiS) MP Zbigniew Kuźmiuk wasn’t buying it. In a blog post, he pointed out that the European Commission has been completely silent on this alleged 100 million euros for the Eastern Shield. And this isn’t the first time Tusk has made grand claims about EU funding, only for them to later turn out to be empty words.
Take last June, for example. Back then, Tusk boasted that he had secured EU support for both the Eastern Shield and the so-called Sky Dome. But when the European Council summit conclusions were released, there was no mention of any such agreements. Now, he’s trying the same trick again—claiming victory without actual proof.
No New EU Money—Just the Same Old Budget?
Even if there is some money available for the Eastern Shield, Kuźmiuk notes, it wouldn’t be new funds. It would just be money from the EU’s long-term budget for 2021-2027—funds that were already negotiated years ago. In other words, Tusk is taking old EU budget allocations and spinning them as a fresh success, all while avoiding attention to the real issues his government is pushing through.
Instead of taking real steps to strengthen Poland’s security, Tusk and his team are busy staging media stunts to distract from their unpopular decisions—like giving the green light to the EU’s migration pact and more Green Deal regulations that could seriously hurt Poland’s economy.
So, Where’s the Proof?
After the summit, European Council President Antonio Costa released a generic statement. But there was no mention of the Eastern Shield, no confirmation of Tusk’s claims, and no real evidence that the EU is committing new funds. The statement only mentioned vague priorities like missile defence and strategic support.