U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Polish President Karol Nawrocki to the White House on Wednesday, September 3rd. During the meeting, Trump declared that American troops would remain in Poland and could even be increased if Warsaw requests. “We will deploy more if the Poles want them. We have never even considered withdrawing troops from Poland,” the president said.
Trump had invited the Polish head of state just days after Nawrocki was sworn in in August and later made sure he joined a phone call about Ukraine with European leaders instead of his rival, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
This was Nawrocki’s second visit to the White House. He was first welcomed when he was still a candidate in Poland’s presidential election, with the May visit sending a clear signal about whom the president backed in the race.
At the White House, Trump praised his counterpart, stating “It’s a great pleasure to have President Nawrocki here. He beat everyone very easily, and now he’s very popular.” He added that he was very proud to have supported Nawrocki and was pleased “that Poland is satisfied with its president.”
Both leaders highlighted the strength of bilateral relations. “Mr. President, thank you very much for the invitation, just a month after my inauguration. This means that Polish-American relations are very strong,” Nawrocki said, while Trump stressed that Washington and Warsaw share “a very special relationship” and reminded that “Poland was one of only two NATO countries that spent more money on defense than was required.”
Nawrocki also paid tribute to historic Polish figures in the United States. An air show honored Major Maciej Krakowian, a Polish pilot killed in an F-16 crash recently. “Thank you very much for this flyover. He was one of the best Polish pilots,” Nawrocki noted.
Asked whether U.S. troops would remain in Poland, Trump reiterated: “Yes, I think so. Maybe you know something I don’t. We’ll deploy more of them if the Poles want them. Yes, they will stay in Poland; we agree on that.”
Nawrocki emphasized the significance of the American presence: “U.S. soldiers are now part of our society. This is a signal to the world, including Russia. For the first time in history, we are happy to have foreign soldiers here.”
After the presser ended, the delegations continued talks behind closed doors over a working breakfast. Later, Nawrocki was scheduled to meet Polish media representatives at Blair House and participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers.
