Polish President Andrzej Duda will travel to Washington on Saturday to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump. The meeting is expected to take place around 1:30 PM local time (8:30 PM in Poland), possibly during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), where Trump is scheduled to speak. If confirmed, Duda will be the first European leader to meet Trump since his return to the White House, ahead of leaders such as French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
NATO Security and U.S. Troop Presence
Duda recently reassured Poland that the U.S. has no plans to reduce its military presence in Central and Eastern Europe. His statement followed talks with Trump’s envoy on Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Hegseth previously suggested that NATO allies should not assume America’s presence in Europe is permanent. With growing regional tensions, Duda’s assurances are seen as a key message to NATO partners.
Before news of his meeting with Trump, Duda spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, advising him to maintain a “calm and constructive” relationship with Trump. Trump recently called Zelensky a “dictator” and urged him to seek a swift peace with Russia. Following this, Zelensky softened his rhetoric and emphasized the importance of unity in securing lasting peace.