Donald Trump participated in the CPAC conservative conference. Before delivering his speech to the attendees, the U.S. President met with his Polish counterpart. Andrzej Duda is the first European leader to have met with Trump after his inauguration.
Both the Chancellery of the President and the White House confirmed that the significance of the Polish-American alliance was emphasized during the meeting. More details about the conversation were provided by Mike Waltz, who described President Duda as a strong example of leadership in Europe.
Duda spoke more about the conversation during a press conference: What did Duda hear from Trump? “These words were immensely important to me,” said the Polish President.
Interview for TV Republika
Late in the evening, President Andrzej Duda gave an exclusive interview to Michał Rachoń on TV Republika.
“The meeting with President Trump was about the issues that are most important from our perspective. I raised what I consider to be of fundamental importance, namely: Poland’s security, Polish-American relations, strengthening the American presence in our country, both military and economic,”
said the President.
As Duda pointed out, there are many topics to discuss with Trump, and no meeting is ever long enough. “We spoke for two and a half hours in Trump Tower. Today, he is once again the President of the USA and has other responsibilities as well. I am satisfied with this conversation because we discussed topics that mattered to me,” he stated.
“President Donald Trump spoke about how we are a reliable ally. We spend nearly 5 percent on defence (…) We see today that he has a friendly attitude toward Poland. That is important to me. Poland matters, and this is important,”
said the President.
He also added, “It is crucial that we have cooperation with the United States that is beneficial for both countries. During Trump’s first term, this was achieved, and I believe it will be the same now.”
Duda also emphasized that for years he has appealed for Poles to engage in American social life, as they are a significant force there.
“Donald Trump speaks about how their votes matter. There have not been such good times for Poland in terms of relations with the USA as there are today. We have excellent strategic relations, large companies are investing in our country, and this is undoubtedly also influenced by Poles living here in the USA,”
he stated.