Visit of the NATO Secretary General to Poland
26.03.2025
On March 26th, in the morning the Secretary General met with Prime Minister Donald Tusk. In the afternoon, he was a guest of President Andrzej Duda and took part in a working lunch hosted by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski. Afterwards, he gave a lecture at the Warsaw School of Economics.
The main topics of the conversation with the Prime Minister were the increased involvement of European countries in NATO tasks and the deepening of cooperation between NATO and the European Union. Poland, which currently holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union, has an important role to play in this process. The war in Ukraine was also discussed. During a press conference at the Prime Minister's Office, Mr. Rutte commended Poland for its defence spending, support for Ukraine and contribution to NATO's military presence in the region. He also expressed his support for the East Shield project.
The talks at the Presidential Palace focused on defence spending in NATO member states, including the Polish President's request to increase the minimum spending to 3% of GDP. The interlocutors also raised the issue of NATO Pipeline System extension to NATO's Eastern Flank, including Poland. They also discussed the fulfillment of regional plans on NATO's eastern flank, in accordance with the commitments made at previous summits.
During a working lunch at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministers and the Secretary General discussed the most important challenges to European security and the current situation in Ukraine. The talks also focused on preparations for the NATO Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Brussels in early April and the NATO summit in The Hague scheduled for June.
After the meetings with representatives of the Polish authorities, the Secretary General gave a lecture at the Warsaw School of Economics. He emphasized that regardless of the end of the war, Russia will remain the most significant and direct threat to our security. He assured that the United States would uphold its obligations and that NATO unity would be preserved. The Secretary General also stressed that after NATO summit in The Hague the Alliance will be even stronger and more lethal, with a fair distribution of responsibilities. The June meeting of Heads of State and Government will also provide an opportunity to decide on further strengthening of Allied military capabilities, including in the area of air defense and ground forces. Mr. Rutte said he had chosen Poland as the venue for his speech to highlight the exceptional efforts of our country for the security.
Photo credit: NATO
