SECRETARY LLOYD AUSTIN: Mr. Deputy Prime Minister, welcome to the Pentagon.
MR. AUSTIN: It's great to see you again. Your visit celebrates and strengthens the deep security ties between our two countries. I'm proud of the important progress that we've made together at the recent NATO summit. You know, Poland has always understood that Putin's war of choice in Ukraine threatens our shared security.
The United States and Poland, along with our allies and partners, stand together for a free and sovereign Ukraine. Poland has shown exceptional leadership on Ukraine, including providing vital logistics support and substantial security assistance, that has helped Ukraine defend itself against the Kremlin's assault.
And I want to thank you personally, Mr. Deputy Prime Minister, for your leadership of the Armor and Maneuver Capability Coalition within the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. Poland's investment in its national defense serves as an example to Europe and to the rest of the world. Now I understand that your team was in Texas yesterday and saw Poland's first F-35 aircraft come off the assembly line.
This is a big step toward Poland fielding the most lethal and survivable fighter aircraft on Earth. The F-35 will improve your defensive capabilities, increase interoperability with allies, and help deter conflict. And let me also congratulate you on your acquisition of Apache helicopters. Now that will make Poland the largest Apache operator outside of the United States.
And finally, I want to thank you and the Polish people for your tremendous support of our forces deployed in your country. Nearly 10,000 American troops operate in Poland, thanks to your support and your hospitality, and that ensures that NATO can deter and, if necessary, defend against aggression. So, thanks for all that you're doing to deepen our close cooperation between allies. And I look forward to a good discussion today. And with that, Mr. Minister, over to you.
MR. KOSINIAK-KAMYSZ: Thank you, Mr. Secretary. It is my great pleasure to visit Washington D.C. and discuss the most important areas of our defense cooperation. Without a doubt, our bilateral relations have reached the greatest dimension in the history of the Polish-US alliance. In a rapidly changing world, security challenges have become more contested, complex and interconnected.
As the NATO front line states, we are facing growing threats related to unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine and hostile action on the border with Belarus. Poland, similar to the US, is fully committed to continuing support for our eastern neighbor, ensuring that Ukraine wins this war. We will discuss how to tailor our support to Ukrainian needs in the best possible way.
No single country can face this threat alone and we truly appreciate the US's firm commitment to defending NATO allies. The US military presence in Poland is strong proof of the effective deterrence which is crucial for the security for all front-line countries. In particular, I am grateful for guarding Poland by the deployment of the most advanced US armaments such as Patriot batteries, Abrams tanks, F-35 aircraft and other fighter jets.
The engagement of the US forces in Poland demonstrates how strong the partnership between our countries is. I am fully convinced that our future joint efforts will enhance the security of Poland, the United States and the entire alliance. I also appreciate progress in the military personnel exchange program, including flag officers from both sides.
This is a prominent example of interoperable and pragmatic cooperation between the Polish and US armed forces. In order to be even better prepared for present and future challenges, we decided to transform the Polish armed forces in terms of the armament modernization and command and control system. What is more, Poland fulfills NATO obligations well beyond the requirements.
We spent more than 4 percent of our GDP on defense; next year it will be 4.7 percent. This is the first place of all NATO countries, and we are really happy for that. We have to be ready to defend our territory and NATO's eastern flank. That is why we continue intensive programs dedicated to the modernization of the Polish armed forces by acquiring state of the art US military equipment.
One of the key accomplishments in this area is recently signed contracts to acquire IBCS system aerostat and Apache helicopters. Yesterday, we witnessed the rollout of the first F-35 aircraft produced for Poland. Undoubtedly, this is a historic and meaningful moment for building credible defense capabilities of the Polish air forces and for increasing our interoperability.
On the 13th of this month, we signed a contract for AH-64 Apache helicopters, which will significantly bolster the Polish armed forces. It is another meaningful step in tightening our bilateral relations and enhancing military industrial cooperation. Mr. Secretary, thank you for all the support from the United States of America. I'm looking forward to our fruitful discussion about the Polish-US strategic cooperation.
MR. AUSTIN: Well, thanks for coming. We're delighted to have you here and, like you, I look forward to a great discussion. Thanks, everybody.