US President Donald Trump said during a meeting with Polish leader Karol Nawrocki that Washington is ready to consider increasing the American military contingent in Poland if Warsaw expresses such a desire.
“If necessary, we will send more troops. Poland has long sought to strengthen the American presence, and we are ready to provide it,” Trump emphasised.
The American president also added that cooperation between the two countries in the military sphere will continue, noting the special closeness and trust between Washington and Warsaw.
In response, Nawrocki expressed his gratitude to the US for its military support and said that Poland was willingly accepting foreign troops for the first time in its history. He also assured that Warsaw would continue to increase its defence spending within NATO, despite the fact that the country already ranks among the leaders in terms of military spending as a percentage of GDP.
Trump, in turn, emphasised that he was proud of his support for Nawrocki during the election campaign. The Polish politician’s victory was another example of the success of right-wing forces in Europe, with whom the American leader actively interacts.
Back in June, on the eve of the election, Nawrocki visited the White House, where he was photographed with Trump in the Oval Office. In the published photo, both leaders are smiling and giving a thumbs-up gesture — a symbolic gesture of support.
“I rarely express support for politicians outside the United States, but in his case I made an exception. And now I am proud of what he has achieved,” Trump said.
However, Polish politics remains deeply divided. The nationalist-minded Nawrocki sharply contrasts himself with the pro-European cabinet headed by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, former President of the European Council. In his campaign, Nawrocki focused on strengthening strategic ties with the US and his personal friendship with Trump. His campaign slogan, “Poland first, Poles first,” directly references Trump’s famous motto, “America first.”
Thus, the alliance between Washington and Warsaw is acquiring not only a military dimension, but also a pronounced political one, and the personal sympathies of the two leaders may significantly influence the balance of power within the European Union and NATO in the future.
