Canada launches Poland rearmament as Europe seeks less US reliance
Photo: Polish soldier (Getty Images)
The Canadian company Marconi Technologies has become the first non-European manufacturer to win a defense contract under the SAFE program. The firm will supply state-of-the-art equipment to the Polish Armed Forces, according to CBC News.
A Montreal-based company has won a contract worth over $10 million. The deal involves Canadian-made tactical radios.
The Canadians will not work alone but in partnership with the Polish company Enamor International. This will ensure the rapid integration of the technology into the Polish military.
Deliveries will begin as early as this year. The contract is long-term, running until 2030.
Prime Minister Mark Carney announced this during the G7 summit in France. Before meeting with EU leaders, he noted that this was "the first concrete example. There will be many more."
SAFE program
The Security Action for Europe (SAFE) program has a budget of 150 billion euros. It was created to strengthen the continent’s defense sector. The initiative’s main goal is to reduce Europe’s military dependence on the United States. Canada became the only non-European country officially admitted to this program.
Participation in SAFE offers Canadians significant advantages:
- Preferential access to defense contracts
- Low-interest loans
- Opportunity to carry out joint projects with European giants.
The Canadian government paid 10 million euros to join the program. EU officials consider this contribution fair given the scale of future contracts.
Canadian Prime Minister's new course
The article notes that Ottawa has now begun actively strengthening ties with Brussels amid strained relations with the United States. Prime Minister Mark Carney views Europe as a key partner in building a new world order. This applies to both security and trade.
Canada and the EU have "never been closer," emphasizes European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The parties are already preparing the next steps: leaders will discuss joint efforts in the field of digital trade. Also in the spotlight is the extraction of critical raw materials for the defense industry.
US-Canada relations
Relations between the countries have deteriorated significantly due to Trump’s repeated statements that Canada should become the 51st state. As a result, Ottawa recently announced that it would cancel the purchase of American reconnaissance aircraft and instead buy them from the Swedish company Saab.
The purchase of F-35 fighter jets is also in question.
Overall, it has been calculated that Trump has threatened one in every 11 people on the planet, taking into account his threats to other countries and the total population of Earth. The US President’s perceived or actual activity spans Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
