US President Donald Trump told Polish President Karol Nawrocki on Wednesday that US troops will not withdraw from Poland while hinting at consequences for Russian President Vladimir Putin if no progress is made on Ukraine.
During a meeting with Nawrocki at the White House, Trump said that his administration had “never even thought” about withdrawing US soldiers from the country – although he is considering it with regard to other countries.
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“We’re with Poland all the way, and we will help Poland protect itself,” Trump added, according to The Guardian.
Since being re-elected last year, Trump has frequently accused NATO’s European members of relying on US military might to deter their enemies, triggering anxiety that he may decrease US military support and reduce trans-Atlantic cooperation.
In April, the relocation of US troops away from Jasionka airport near Rzeszów, a transport hub near the Ukrainian border, triggered unfounded online speculation that the US was “abandoning Poland” and ending all support for Ukraine.
The US president was also asked if he had a message for Putin, to which he replied that he did not.
“He knows where I stand,” Trump said. “He’ll make a decision one way or the other, whatever his decision is, we will either be happy about it or unhappy and if we’re unhappy about it, you’ll see things happen.”
Budanov Returns Polish State Honor in Response to Warsaw Decision
Another two-week deadline set by Trump for Putin to demonstrate his willingness to end Russia’s war in Ukraine expired on Monday – the fourth such deadline from Trump.
However, Trump was visibly irked when a Polish reporter suggested that he had taken “no action” against Putin, citing expensive US sanctions against India implemented partly due to India’s reliance on Russian oil.
“I think you ought to get yourself a new job,” Trump said.
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