Duda, Trump discuss increase in defence spending
Polish President Andrzej Duda held an informal meeting with the former US president, Donald Trump, in New York on Wednesday at which the two discussed Poland's proposal to increase the recommended Nato defence spending, Trump's election team has reported.
Trump and Duda met on Wednesday evening at Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, New York.
Trump is going to face off against Joe Biden again in the US presidential election in November.
Duda is considered an ally of Poland's former ruling party, the socially-conservative Law and Justice, who on numerous occasions praised Trump and his policies. However, Poland's new centrist government, although not expressly, seem to favour the incumbent US president, Joe Biden.
Team Trump, posting on the X platform, wrote that "the two presidents, who are great friends, discussed President Duda's proposal for NATO countries to go to 3% spending on their defense.
"They also discussed the war between Russia and Ukraine, the conflict with Israel in the Middle East, and many other topics having to do with getting to world peace."
The Trump campaign added that the former US president "fondly recalled his landmark trip to Poland in 2017 and praised the Polish people for steadfast defense of their sovereignty and to their commitment to the security of Europe's borders from any and all threats. President Trump is a big fan of Poland and of the Polish people."
Trump also posted a short video of greeting the Polish president on his TRUTH Social platform. In the clip, Trump can be heard praising his previous cooperation with the Polish president, talking about good communication with him and the many topics on which they agree. He called Duda a friend and praised the "fantastic job" he is doing for Poland.
Duda was accompanied by two ministers from the President's office, Marcin Mastalerek and Wojciech Kolarski.
Kolarski, later commenting on the talks, said "it was an excellent meeting. A long, almost two-and-a-half-hour conversation took place in a great atmosphere. It was a meeting of two friends," he said.
In March, Duda submitted a proposal to increase defence spending from 2 to 3 percent GDP by all NATO countries. This concept was then presented by Poland during Duda's meeting with US President Joe Biden at the White House, also attended by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. (PAP)
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