Former President Donald Trump met with Polish President Andrzej Duda on Wednesday night in New York City, with the duo discussing critical international issues like the situation in Ukraine, the Middle East, and NATO spending.
“President Trump 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.”
Speaking to reporters before the meeting, President Duda dismissed the suggestion that his private meeting with the Republican candidate would antagonize the Biden administration.
“I am not afraid because presidents meet with their colleagues, especially those who used to hold the president’s office in their countries, this is a normal practice, there is nothing special about it,” he said.
“The presidents also meet different politicians during their foreign visits, it is normal that when two countries have good relationships they want to have good relations with different sides of the political scene.”
President Duda, whose term is set to end next year, said his visit to President Trump coincided with a visit to New York City to attend meetings at the United Nations.
U.S. Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller also claimed that foreign leaders visiting a presidential nominee is normal.
“We have seen over the course of years of American elections where foreign governments engage with the nominees of major parties here, just as American diplomats and American leaders often engage with foreign opposition leaders,” he said.
President Trump told reporters that he and President Duda “had a very good and personal relationship. Never had even a problem, not even a minor problem. We agree on so much. But we’re behind Poland all the way. And I know Poland feels the same way.”
NATO, Ukraine Issues
President Trump’s discussion with President Duda covered critical areas of American policy that the former president has been speaking about in his 2024 campaign.According to a 2023 NATO report, only seven of the 31 allies met the two percent GDP spending target on defense in 2022. “The United States accounted for 54 percent of the Allies’ combined GDP and 70 percent of combined defense expenditure. Total NATO military spending in 2022 was estimated to exceed USD 1 trillion.”
In his meeting with President Duda, President Trump discussed a higher rate of military spending at three percent of GDP.
Ukraine is another key issue. Leaders in Poland have urged American lawmakers to approve a $95 billion foreign aid bill that provides new funding for Ukraine. However, Republicans have vehemently opposed the bill.
“We keep handing out gifts of billions and billions of dollars, and we’ll take a look at it,” he said during a press conference this month. “But much more importantly to me is the fact that Europe has to step up, and they have to give money. They have to equalize. If they don’t equalize I’m very upset about it, because they’re affected much more than we are.”
The two met to “discuss a wide range of issues affecting Hungary and the United States, including the paramount importance of strong and secure borders to protect the sovereignty of each nation,” the Trump campaign said.
Both leaders have been close to each other, with many conservatives in the United States holding a high view of the Hungarian prime minister due to his strict immigration policies.
