US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Polish President Karol Nawrocki in the Oval Office (AP)
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday offered to increase the US military presence in Poland during a meeting with Polish President Karol Nawrocki at the White House.Nawrocki, a nationalist historian and longtime Trump supporter, made Washington his first foreign visit since taking office. He had previously campaigned with Trump’s backing during Poland’s election and emphasised the importance of strengthening US-Poland ties.Standing alongside Nawrocki in the Oval Office, Trump said, as quoted by AFP, “We’ll put more there if they want. We’re with Poland all the way and we’ll help Poland protect itself.” The US president also commented on the war in Ukraine, calling it a “stupid war” but adding, “It’s going to get done. I thought ending it would have been much easier for me.”Nawrocki welcomed the offer, praising the US troop presence. He said it was “the first time in history” that Poland had been happy to host foreign troops and stressed Warsaw’s goal of continuing to increase its defense spending within Nato.The White House arranged a flyover of F-16 and F-35 jets to honor a Polish F-16 pilot who died last week while preparing for an air show. Deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said the “missing-man formation” was staged to “honor the memory of a brave Polish fighter pilot, whose life was tragically taken too soon, and capture the special relationship between our two countries,” reported AFP.Poland, a key Nato and EU member, has been a major supporter of Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 invasion. The country serves as a critical transit hub for military and humanitarian aid and hosts thousands of US troops.Warsaw has largely been sidelined in Trump’s efforts to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the negotiating table. On Wednesday, Putin vowed in Beijing to continue fighting if a peace deal cannot be reached, while Zelenskyy said he hoped to speak with Trump about potential additional sanctions against Russia.Nawrocki is also seeking US backing amid political tensions at home with Poland’s pro-EU government led by former European Council chief Donald Tusk. The new Polish president recently blocked a law extending rights for Ukrainian refugees and, like Trump, opposes Ukraine’s Nato membership.
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