Speaking at the Land Forces Training Center in the northeastern town of Orzysz on Monday, Tusk declared that the strategic project is now "formally underway."
After attending a demonstration of the project's deterrence capabilities, he described it as a collaborative defense effort involving the Baltic states and Finland. He also announced plans to negotiate its co-financing in Brussels in the near future.
Talking to reporters alongside Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Tusk voiced his satisfaction that the initiative is getting off the ground.
He emphasized that the Eastern Shield is not solely a Polish project but a joint international effort, with the Baltic states contributing to strengthening the Baltic defense line, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
He also highlighted Finland's involvement in the initiative.
Tusk said he is pleased to see Britain actively collaborating on the project and revealed that "the Americans are prepared to join as well."
He told reporters that a large part of the infrastructure will serve civilian purposes.
"This will be funded not only domestically but also through European funds, which I will be discussing in Brussels in the coming days and weeks," Tusk said.
The Eastern Shield National Deterrence and Defense Program, approved by the Polish government, has a budget of PLN 10 billion (EUR 2.3 billion) and is scheduled to be completed by 2028.
Tusk's office has said that the government plans to develop extensive defense infrastructure along NATO's eastern flank to address potential threats from Belarus and Russia.
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Source: IAR/PAP/MON/X/@Platforma_org/@SztabGenWP