President Andrzej Duda met on Capitol Hill with the most important US senators from the Democratic and Republican parties, as well as with Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. – Our relations are excellent and we are building them regardless of who is in power at a given moment – he said after the talks. Duda said that his proposal to increase defense spending to three percent of GDP was met with “great understanding.”
Andrzej Duda and Donald Tusk on Monday they arrived in Washington, where on Tuesday they will meet with the American leader at the White House Joe Biden. The talks are scheduled for 4:00 p.m. local time (9:00 p.m. in Poland). The visit takes place on the 25th anniversary of Poland's accession FOR THIS. After the meeting, a statement for the media was planned by President Andrzej Duda, later by Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
At. At 11:30 p.m., Marcin Wrona, the correspondent of “Fakty” TVN, will talk to President Andrzej Duda.
WATCH EVENTS RELATED TO THE VISIT OF THE PRESIDENT AND THE PRIME MINISTER TO THE USA ON TVN24 GO
Andrzej Duda previously held meetings with Democratic and Republican leaders on Capitol Hill. – We will talk about security issues, the situation in our part of Europe, the future – when it comes to building an alliance between the US and the European Union, and of course, above all, between the US and Poland – Duda announced earlier.
The Polish president met with Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and then with House Speaker Michael Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. After the talks, he met with the Polish media.
– The Capitol meetings were very good. In the Senate and the House of Representatives I met with speakers and minority leaders, they were very interesting and very good conversations – Andrzej Duda said after the meetings. As he admitted, the most important message is that “our relations are excellent and we are building them regardless of who is in power at a given moment.”
Andrzej Duda at a briefing in front of the CapitolLeszek Szymański/PAP
– These 25 years of Poland's presence in NATO, all this time after 1989, when we are building this Alliance with the United States, all this together shows these very strong ties and today these excellent meetings (…) are a certain summary on the one hand, but on the other hand, showing this situation as it is today and what its requirements are today, Duda said.
“We are ready to bear the burdens resulting from the current situation”
– I was pleased to receive a very positive response to the proposal I submitted to increase defense spending in NATO from two to three percent to show solidarity.
Duda said that his proposal to increase defense spending to three percent. GDP was met with “great understanding”. – I was pleased to receive a very positive response to the proposal I submitted to increase defense spending in NATO from two to three percent to show solidarity. Everyone knows that United States they have the most powerful army and that the United States is the guarantor of security, but on the other hand, we, as members of the North Atlantic Alliance, treat our presence in the Alliance and security issues responsibly and are ready to bear the burdens resulting from the current situation, he said.
– The question about security was one thing in 2014, when the decision was made about two percent, and it is another thing today, ten years later, when we see full-scale Russian aggression in Ukraine and a truly real threat of Russian imperialism, Duda added.
President: I was pleased to receive the positive response to my proposalTVN24
The president also said that he thanked for the “American presence in Poland.” – I said that this presence in Poland as a guarantee of security is absolutely necessary, that the presence of an American soldier on our soil is of great importance for strengthening the sense of security of Poles and the nations of our part of Europe in the face of what is happening behind our eastern border – said Duda.
“Ukrainians deserve support”
He described support for Ukraine as crucial. – Of course, I said that if we want to be safe, we also need to support Ukraine today, because it is of key importance. Ukrainians deserve support because their heroic defense against the Russian invasion must command respect. Today, only the fact that the Ukrainian army will have modern Western American combat and defense technology can tip the scales of victory in its favor, argued the president.
Andrzej DudaLeszek Szymański/PAP
– I stressed this with all my might – for the security of Europe and NATO, including the security of my country, we cannot allow Putin to win in Ukraine – he added.
Main photo source: Leszek Szymański/PAP