It is the primary time in a quarter-century {that a} Polish president and top minister have visited Washington on the similar time.
Poland’s president and top minister will discuss with the White House on Tuesday in an try to spur america to ship extra assist to Ukraine, at a time when the brand new budget stay stalled in Congress.
US President Joe Biden invited Polish President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Donald Tusk for conferences to mark the twenty fifth anniversary of Poland’s accession to NATO, a ancient step for the rustic after breaking unfastened from Moscow’s sphere of affect.
Duda and Tusk may also meet with US lawmakers in Washington on Tuesday, asking them to move a brand new bundle handing over army assist to Kyiv and smash the standoff between Congress’s two events. While the Senate has handed a $118 billion (€108 billion) bipartisan bundle together with $60 billion (€55 billion) in Ukraine investment, the Republican management within the House of Representatives is refusing to carry it to the ground for a vote.
The discuss with comes at a time when Poland is attempting to encourage the West to extend its defence spending to check Russia’s efforts.
“The war in Ukraine has clearly shown that the United States is and should remain the leader in security issues in Europe and the world,” Duda mentioned in an deal with to his nation on Monday.
“However, other NATO countries must also take greater responsibility for the security of the entire alliance and intensively modernise and strengthen their troops.”
Speaking to journalists earlier than boarding his airplane in Warsaw, Duda mentioned that whilst the talks in Washington would have fun an anniversary, they’d above all focal point on European safety going ahead and “about Russian imperial policy, which has returned.”
Polish media noted that this trip will be the first time in a quarter-century that a Polish president and prime minister have both visited Washington at the same time, highlighting the seriousness of this historical moment.
Concerns are growing over the future of the conflict in Ukraine, as Kyiv is currently running low on ammunition and needs to have its stocks replenished soon. At the same time, Russia appears to be gaining ground on the battlefield, a major contrast to the weakness and disorganisation its forces displayed in 2022 and much of 2023.
The visit will also give Biden a chance to articulate how he views the role of NATO in the near future.
His rival Donald Trump, whom he’s likely to face in a rematch at the November 5 election, recently said that were he to retake the White House, NATO countries who do not contribute their “justifiable share” to the alliance can be left at Russia’s mercy.