The U.S. views “Poland as the model ally on the continent,” U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said, adding that Warsaw “leads by example on a lot of things, including defense spending.”
Hegseth, who arrived in Warsaw on Friday, held a joint press conference with his Polish counterpart, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.
He said: “We [the U.S.] see Poland as the model ally on the continent, willing to invest not just in their defense, but in our shared defense, and the defense of the continent.
“Our relationship is strong and growing stronger every day.”
“Poland is model ally, not only in words, but in deeds and actions,” Hegseth said, adding “Poland leads by example on a lot of things, including defense spending.”
Continuing, he said: “Diplomacy is important. Talk is important. Negotiations are important, but ultimately, beans and bullets and tanks and helicopters and hard power still matters.
“Poland understands that, and so do we".
He said: “We [the U.S.] see Poland as the model ally on the continent, willing to invest not just in their defense, but in our shared defense, and the defense of the continent.
“Our relationship is strong and growing stronger every day.”
“Poland is model ally, not only in words, but in deeds and actions,” Hegseth said, adding “Poland leads by example on a lot of things, including defense spending.”
Continuing, he said: “Diplomacy is important. Talk is important. Negotiations are important, but ultimately, beans and bullets and tanks and helicopters and hard power still matters.
“Poland understands that, and so do we".
US-Poland alliance stronger than ever
Kosiniak-Kamysz said: “The Polish American alliance has never been as strong before, and we will do our utmost to develop it even more.”
“Poland is a country that understands the threats. It can see and feel because of its history,” he said, adding: “We didn’t have our independence, and we didn’t have opportunities for self-determination.”
Return to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders ‘unlikely’
When asked if Ukraine could return to its pre-2014 borders, before Russia's invasion of Crimea and eastern Ukraine, as part of a peace settlement with Moscow, Hegseth stood by his earlier remarks he made this week.
On Wednesday, ahead of a Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting, Hegseth said that a return to Ukraine’s pre-2024 borders “is an unrealistic objective.”
His comments sparked criticism across Europe and in Kyiv, with critics arguing they weakened the U.S. position with Russia before the negotiations even began.
Despite the backlash, Hegseth reaffirmed his stance on Friday, saying: “A return to Ukraine’s 2014 borders as part of a negotiated settlement is unlikely. The presence of U.S. troops in Ukraine is unlikely. Ukraine joining NATO as part of a settlement is unlikely.”
He added that the U.S. aims to “introduce realism into the expectations of our NATO allies” to incentivize peace talks.
‘Now is the time to invest’
Pointing to Poland, which plans to spend 4.7% of GDP on defense this year, Hegseth doubled down on Washington's demands that European NATO allies take on more of the financial burden for their own security.
He said: “If NATO's response to this situation is to truly increase capabilities, truly increase imports and spending, to think more like Poland, to think more like the Baltics, who are closer to the threat and recognize the reality of the threat, then I don’t think [Russian President] Vladimir Putin will be emboldened.
Hegseth’s visit to Poland is the last stop on a week-long trip to Europe after visiting Germany and attending a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels.
Later on Friday, the defense secretary is also scheduled to meet Polish President Andrzej Duda.
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