A strong Poland is a safe Europe

During the meeting at the White House, Prime Minister Donald Tusk thanked President Joe Biden for the invitation to the USA on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Polish in NATO and for his fight and faith in the principles of the North Atlantic Alliance.

I would like to thank you sincerely, not only for inviting us on the anniversary of Polish's membership in NATO, but above all for the fact that you have never forgotten why it was created – said Prime Minister Donald Tusk during the meeting.

The head of the Polish government also thanked for J. Biden's personal involvement in the enlargement of NATO to include Poland. The Prime Minister also conveyed an important message on behalf of Poles.

Our country is now a stable democracy, predictable for our allies, on which the security of the entire region depends to a great extent. (...) When we, Poles, set off on the road to the West, Pope John Paul II told the world: 'There can be no just Europe without an independent Polish'. And today I would say: there can be no safe Europe without a strong Polish and there can be no just Europe without a free and independent Ukraine – said the head of the Polish government.

Prime Minister Tusk stressed the role of our country in NATO. We are the leader among the Allies in terms of defence spending. In 2024, we plan to allocate 4.2% of GDP, i.e. approximately PLN 160 billion, for this purpose.

Poland is and will continue to be a solid and enduring pillar of the transatlantic community. We take our commitments seriously, more than anyone else in Europe," he said during a meeting with US President Biden.

NATO is the backbone of our security

The main purpose of my visit is to confirm unequivocally that America will never hesitate to come to Poland's aid if Poland is ever attacked, that Article 5 of the Washington Treaty is indisputable. I wanted to know that Americans feel obliged, and will always be obliged to act immediately if we need such help," said Prime Minister Donald Tusk during a press conference after the meeting with the US President.

Article 5 indicates that an attack on one NATO country is an attack against all the countries of the Alliance. The head of the Polish government stressed that this is particularly important in the context of the war that is taking place behind our eastern border.

The unity at this table was impressive. At every point of this conversation, we had a common position with President Joe Biden and the American side, admitted Donald Tusk.

Support for Ukraine in the war against Russia

During the press conference, the head of the Polish government stressed the importance of solidarity support for Ukraine, which is fighting for its freedom and for ours. Support in the form of armaments, humanitarian or material aid is a duty not only of European countries, but also of NATO.

We talked about how quickly it is possible to unblock American aid. We also exchanged comments on how we, the Poles, mobilize the European Union for this assistance, said the head of the Polish government.

President Joe Biden announced U.S. support for Ukraine fighting the Russian aggressor. He also thanked for the help that Poland has shown to its eastern neighbour.

Poland, together with the U.S., is increasing its defense potential

The U.S. side has announced that it will grant Poland a loan of $2 billion under the Foreign Military Financing program. Our country will be able to purchase 96 Apache helicopters from the United States. NATO's eastern flank must be adequately secured.

There is information about a possible loan from the Americans, a favorable loan for helicopters. This is fresh information, but we treat it very seriously," stressed Prime Minister Donald Tusk during the conference.

Cooperation for the development of nuclear energy

The Prime Minister announced that the Polish government will maintain cooperation with the USA also in the area of nuclear energy or technological cooperation.

We also talked about very intensive, improving Polish-American cooperation, including in the field of energy. We have just decided, as far as three units are concerned, the first nuclear power plant. We are also thinking about continuing cooperation with the Americans in this area," said Prime Minister Donald Tusk during a press conference in Washington.