US defence secretary Lloyd Austin has visited Warsaw for meetings with his Polish counterpart Mariusz Błaszczak and President Andrzej Duda. The trio emphasised support for Ukraine, while today also saw the US confirm the sale of 250 Abrams tanks to Poland as a deterrent against Russia.
“It’s ironic that what Mr Putin did not want to see happen was a stronger NATO on his flank, and that’s exactly what he will see,” said Austin, speaking along Błaszczak. “The entire alliance stands with Ukraine in supporting its sovereignty, its territorial integrity, and its right to choose its own path.”
The Pentagon chief also praised Poland as being “one of our most stalwart allies” and for “consistently meeting NATO spending and defence investment targets”. He also thanked it for hosting the fourth largest continent of US troops in Europe.
“Poland knows firsthand the steep cost paid by victims of aggression from larger neighbours, and it has made valuable contributions to assist Ukraine in building up its defence capabilities,” he added.
Minister @mblaszczak: Dziękuję za obecność amerykańskich żołnierzy, którzy w obliczu obecnych zagrożeń ze strony Rosji, chronią wschodnią flankę #NATO. pic.twitter.com/lfYbD9cMBp
— Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej 🇵🇱 (@MON_GOV_PL) February 18, 2022
Błaszczak in turn thanked the US for recently strengthening its military presence in Poland. “We are proud that we can host American soldiers, that we can show our hospitality and also our rich Polish culture and nature,” he declared, following a visit with Austin to meet US personnel stationed in Powidz.
“Russia’s imperialist policy requires from us and all our allies comprehensive deterrence and defence measures,” added Błazczak, quoted by the Polish Press Agency (PAP).
During his remarks, Austin also confirmed information – announced by Błaszczak this morning – that the Pentagon and US State Department have approved the sale to Poland of 250 of the most modern Abrams tanks. The $6 billion package was agreed last year and presented by Poland as a deterrent against Russian aggression.
For more on Poland's purchase of 250 Abrams tanks from the US, which are intended to create a greater deterrent against Russia, see our reporting from last year https://t.co/gC4MmVbz1E
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) February 18, 2022
Later in the day, Austin met with Duda at the presidential palace in Warsaw, where discussions again focused on Russia’s military buildup around Ukraine, including in Belarus.
Following his meeting with Błaszczak, Austin also noted how Belarus was “continuing to cruelly promote the forced migration of thousands of displaced persons from the Middle East to Poland and the rest of the European Union”.
Yesterday, Poland announced the launch of a new trilateral security pact with Ukraine and the United Kingdom, as Warsaw and London pledged to “stand in unity with Ukraine…in the face of Russian aggression”.
Main image credit: Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej/press materials
Maria Wilczek is deputy editor of Notes from Poland. She is a regular writer for The Times, The Economist and Al Jazeera English, and has also featured in Foreign Policy, Politico Europe, The Spectator and Gazeta Wyborcza.
