Poland today signed the largest arms deal in its history after agreeing with the United States to buy Raytheon's Patriot anti-aircraft missile system for $ 4,75 billion (€ 3,8 billion) as part of a modernization of its forces against Russia.
"It is an extraordinary, historic moment, Poland is entering a whole new era of state-of-the-art technology, modern equipment and defense," said Polish President Andrei Duda during the ceremony.
Poland, a NATO member, has stepped up efforts to upgrade its weapons systems following Russia's annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in 2014 and Moscow's renewed military and political confidence in the region. Two-thirds of Poland's weapons systems date back to Soviet times, when the country was a member of the Warsaw Pact.
The Patriots deal comes as a relief to Poland, whose relations with Washington, its main NATO ally, remain strained following a bill introduced in Parliament by Warsaw in January criminalizing allegations of possible Poland in the Holocaust.