Nawrocki to prioritise transatlantic ties at NATO summit, aide says
Maintaining the strongest possible transatlantic relations will be President Karol Nawrocki's priority at the NATO summit in Ankara, the head of the Presidential Office's Bureau of International Policy, Marcin Przydacz, said ahead of the start of the two-day meeting on Tuesday.
Speaking before departing for Turkey, Przydacz said the president considered strong ties between Europe and the United States essential.
We believe that Europe's security and the security of the United States are interconnected. Therefore, we expect the strongest possible state of relations between Europe and the United States
Przydacz also stressed the need for greater engagement by European allies in increasing defence spending, saying Europe should play a "much more active" role in this regard. He described Poland as "an absolute model," noting that it had consistently met all of its commitments, including spending 5 percent of GDP on defence, while "many European allies" had yet to reach that level.
He said Nawrocki would "certainly call" on allies to achieve the target as soon as possible, adding that he was convinced US President Donald Trump would also expect this.
Przydacz also said the president would expect NATO to maintain a "firm stance" towards Russia and once again identify it as a direct threat to Euro-Atlantic security.
He added that expanding NATO infrastructure, including pipelines, would also be among the president's priorities. (PAP)
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