Cheap military loans: Romania will also build highways, while Bulgaria is focusing solely on the army

Monday, Feb 2, 2026

Mediapool

Romania uses EU SAFE loans for security upgrades; Bulgaria focuses only on military purchases amid Russian aggression.

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[This is an automatically generated summary, for reference only]

Romania plans to finance a comprehensive security strengthening system, including highways and hospitals, using the European Commission’s Special Instrument for Europe (SAFE) preferential loans, while Bulgaria is only focusing on acquiring military products. The European Commission launched SAFE with 150 billion euros to provide emergency funding for member states to bolster their defense following Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, with discussions ongoing about its continuation. SAFE loans offer a grace period of 15 years and repayment terms up to 40 years.

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