Polish President Andrzej Duda travelled to the United States to meet US President Donald Trump at CPAC, a major conservative conference. The White House later confirmed the meeting, highlighting the strong alliance between the two nations. Trump praised Poland’s substantial defence spending.
Although the pair had planned a one-hour discussion, they only managed a few minutes due to Trump’s delayed arrival and his need to give a speech at CPAC.
Polish media first reported the meeting on Friday. Official confirmation came on Saturday, just hours before it took place. Duda became the first European leader to meet Trump in person during his second term. Trump will later meet with French President Emmanuel Macron and the UK’s Keir Starmer, but their discussions will take place at the White House.
Duda role in strengthening US-Poland relations
The meeting was scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Polish time (1:30 p.m. in Washington, DC) and was to last one hour before Trump’s CPAC speech. However, Trump’s delayed departure meant their discussion started around 8:30 p.m., leaving them only a few minutes to speak.
Afterward, Duda sat in the front row during Trump’s speech at CPAC. Trump praised Duda, calling him “a fantastic man and a great friend of mine.”
Duda told reporters that Trump had confirmed his commitment to strengthening the US presence in Poland. He described Poland as one of America’s “absolutely best allies.” Trump’s Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth, had made similar remarks during his recent visit to Warsaw, calling Poland a “model ally.”
Focus on Ukraine and Russia
Duda, who has long had strong relations with Trump, recalled their two-and-a-half-hour discussion last year at Trump Tower. He said that they had discussed the topics that mattered most to him.
Duda also shared that Trump had expressed his determination to end the conflict in Ukraine. He said that the only way to achieve peace was through direct dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Earlier, Duda spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky by phone. He encouraged Zelensky to trust Trump’s commitment and ability to bring peace.
