Kaja Kallas· No determinado

Nuanced

19 Member States have requested SAFE loans to fund 700 defence projects totaling EUR 150 billion.

Omissions

• The claim was made on January 20, 2026, when only 8 Member States had been approved in the first wave of SAFE funding
• A second wave of 8 additional Member States was approved on January 26, 2026 (after the session date), bringing the total to 16 approved Member States
• The figure of 700 defence projects could not be verified from official sources
• The figure of 19 Member States having requested SAFE loans could not be independently verified

Sources

• PrimaryEuropean Commission - SAFE Security Action for EuropeSAFE will provide up to EUR 150 billion in competitively priced, long-maturity loans to Member States requesting financial assistance for investments in defence
• PrimaryEuropean Commission - Commission approves first wave of defence funding for eight Member States under SAFEThe Commission approved an initial batch of SAFE plans for Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Spain, Croatia, Cyprus, Portugal and Romania on January 15, 2026
• PrimaryEuropean Commission - Press release IP/25/1340Under the SAFE loan, the Commission will raise up to EUR 150 billion on the capital markets
• PrimaryCouncil of the European Union - SAFEThrough the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) instrument, the EU is providing financial assistance in the form of loans worth up to EUR 150 billion