New US defence secretary hails “model ally” Poland on first overseas visit

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Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

Donald Trump’s new defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, has hailed Poland as a “model ally” during a visit to Warsaw on his first overseas trip in his new role.

“It’s quite intentional that our first European bilateral [visit] is right here in Poland,” said Hegseth following talks with Polish counterpart Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.

“The symbolism is intentional. We see Poland as the model ally on the continent, willing to invest not just in their defence but in our shared defence,” he continued. “Our friendship, our bond, is ironclad, and we came here specifically to reinforce that.”

“Poland leads by example on a lot of things, including defence spending,” added Hegseth, who noted that Poland now has NATO’s highest relative defence spending, expected to be 4.7% of GDP this year.

“Diplomacy is important, but ultimately bullets, and tanks, and helicopters and hard power still matter,” he continued. “Poland understands that, and so do we.”

The defence secretary also thanked Poland for the “outstanding support” it has shown to the over 8,000 US troops currently stationed in the country. In 2023, the US established its first permanent military base in Poland.

“The level of partnership here is unmatched in Europe; the common bond between our forces is unlike others in Europe; we have a shared warrior ethos,” declared Hegseth. “[There is] no truer friend, no tougher foe, than the Polish soldier.”

When asked if the US would consider withdrawing its military forces from eastern Europe, including Poland, as part of any peace deal in Ukraine, Hegseth did not give a direct answer.

He said that Trump recognises that the “American presence on the continent is important to deter Vladimir Putin and to send that signal of solidarity” but added that “what happens five, 10 or 15 years from now is part of a larger discussion”.

Hegseth emphasised that it is important for European NATO members to bolster their own defence capabilities. “Now is the time to step up, because you can’t make an assumption that America’s presence will last forever.”

Kosiniak-Kamysz, meanwhile, thanked Hegseth for making Poland his first port of call following broader multilateral discussions in Brussels and Munich. “This is an expression of our partnership, our common friendship and our common security strategy,” said the Polish defence minister.

“The Polish-American alliance has never been as strong as it is now [and] we are determined to develop it even more,” he continued, noting that the two sides have “agreed on joint investments, joint security guarantees and increasing our commitments” following today’s talks.

Echoing Hegseth’s remarks on bolstering Europe’s capabilities, Kosiniak-Kamysz declared that: “Freedom needs strength, peace needs strength, security needs strength. There is no such strength without spending, without improving our capabilities, without investing in our army, alliance and society.”

After meeting with Kosiniak-Kamysz, Hegseth was due to hold talks with President Andrzej Duda, who is aligned with Poland’s opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party and who, along with PiS, enjoyed close relations with Trump during the latter’s first term as president.

Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

Main image credit: Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz/X

Daniel Tilles

Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.