Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Amid his tall claims to end the 42-month-long Ukraine war remaining hollow and Europe, for the first time since 1945, suspecting America’s intention of continued support to its security from Russia, Donald Trump has “reassured” Poland of continued US military presence in the European nation.
Washington’s growing disinterest in European affairs, and Trump’s insistence that the European Union members spend more on their NATO’s security umbrella, has put the US’s credibility on the line.
To reassure Europe of its continued help and interest, Trump on Wednesday affirmed that the United States will keep a robust military presence in Poland.
He gave this assurance to the visiting Polish President Karol Nawrocki, whom he had endorsed in the Polish elections earlier this year, the media reported on Friday.
Asked whether the US will continue placing troops in Poland, Trump said the US would, and that “we’ll put more there if they want.”
“We’ll be staying in Poland. We’re very much aligned with Poland,” he said.
The new Polish President’s visit to Washington is Nawrocki’s first overseas trip since taking office in August. The former amateur boxer and historian, who was backed by the conservative Law and Justice party, was hoping to deepen his relationship with Washington at a fraught moment for Warsaw.
Trump said he was proud to have endorsed Nawrocki and lauded him for winning his election.
“It was a pretty tough race, pretty nasty race, and he beat them all. And he beat them all very easily, and now he’s become even more popular as they got to know him and know him better,” Trump said.
Exasperated, Trump is increasingly frustrated because of his inability to get Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to sit down for direct talks aimed at ending the war between them, which broke out in February 2022 with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
On August 15, Trump met with Putin in Alaska with high hopes, and then with Zelenskyy and several European leaders at the White House. He emerged confident to quickly arrange direct bilateral talks between the Russian and Ukrainian Presidents and perhaps a trilateral in which he would also participate.
But his optimism in hatching an agreement to end the war has dimmed as Putin has yet to signal an interest in sitting down with Zelenskyy.
“Maybe they have to fight a little longer,” Trump said in an interview with the conservative Daily Caller published over the weekend. “You know, just keep fighting stupidly, keep fighting.”
There is also heightened anxiety in Poland, and across Europe, about Trump’s long-term commitment to a strong US force posture on the Continent, which has been an essential deterrent to Russia.
Some key advisers in his administration have advocated for shifting US troops and military from Europe to the Indo-Pacific with China’s lock as the United States’ most significant strategic and economic competitor now.
Currently, about 8,200 American troops are stationed in Poland, but the force level regularly fluctuates, the Pentagon said.
Having lost trust with other European leaders, Trump is trying to woo Nawrocki. When he arrived at the White House, the US President gave him a hearty slap on the shoulder and stood with him as they watched US military jets soaring over the South Lawn.
Trump made clear before Poland’s election this spring that he wanted Nawrocki to win, dangling the prospect of closer military ties if the Poles elected Nawrocki. The US President even hosted him at the White House even before the vote.
Nawrocki has also echoed some of Trump’s language on Ukraine.
He promised to continue Poland’s support for Ukraine but has been critical of Zelenskyy, accusing him of taking advantage of allies. Nawrocki has also accused Ukrainian refugees of taking advantage of Polish generosity and vowed to prioritise Poles for social services such as health care and schooling
Simultaneously, he is trying to convince Trump that Putin can’t be trusted and that a strong US presence in Poland remains an essential deterrent.
Russia and its ally Belarus, which borders Poland and Ukraine, are set to hold joint military exercises this month in Belarus, unnerving Poland as well as fellow NATO members Latvia and Lithuania.