SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PETE HEGSETH: Well, Mr. Deputy Prime Minister, it is great to see you again. Our first overseas trip as Secretary of Defense was to Poland, we had the opportunity to have dinner at the palace with you and your wonderful wife Paulina. Give her my best. You were such a great, great host to us and so it's time for us to return the favor here at the Pentagon.
So, welcome on behalf of our team, many of which were not yet on our team when I saw you in February, so I get a chance to have you introduced to and meet a lot of our great folks. The relationship between the United States and Poland is rock solid. Both countries demonstrate peace through strength.
President Trump also sends his regards and appreciation for all Polish leadership and the Polish people who are a model ally for the United States there on the eastern flank of NATO. And we're going to be encouraging 5 percent. We don't have to encourage Poland, you are almost there already leading the way on investment in Europe's largest land army, modernizing that force, and the defense industrial base, which is critically important, not just obviously here in the United States, but in Europe as well.
You apply — your country, in incredible and important ways, applies common sense. You apply combat credible forces and a willingness to defend your own homeland and a recognition of defense of your borders, and your people is first and foremost, which is something President Trump has reestablished here in the United States as well.
So, I want to also and finally thank you for your great support of US troops, of 8,000 stationed rotationally and some permanently in Poland. I had a chance to talk to our troops there and they could not be more grateful for the reception and the support that they receive, which is ongoing, not just financially but in sort of the political and populist support for American troops.
That partnership is as strong today as it's ever been. And so, from the leadership of the United States, from President Trump, from the Defense Department, thank you for that support. Our close partnership — we're as close now as we've ever been and we look forward to getting closer and we welcome you here to the Pentagon. So, thank you so much.
MINISTER OF DEFENSE WLADYSLAW KOSINIAK-KAMYSZ: Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary. I'm very glad to be here in Washington, D.C. today and to continue our productive dialog. We have reached a pivotal moment. In the history of the enduring alliance between Poland and the United States, strong Polish-American relations are reflected in many recent meetings on various political and military levels.
In today's rapidly changing world, security challenges have become more serious, complex and interconnected than ever before. That's why we fully support President Donald Trump's administration's efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. We are sure, and our broad defense cooperation is the best proof, that the United States of America remains the guarantor of global stability and development.
I'm also certain that it was necessary to send Europe a strong message, a strong signal for burden sharing within NATO, recognizing that Europe must take greater responsibility for its own defense.
Poland is proud to set an example. We are a NATO leader in defense spending, reaching nearly 5 percent of GDP. We have invested a lot in American made weapons systems by signing 128 contracts for over 60 billion US dollars. We recognize a significant development potential and mutual benefit arising from further development towards supporting Polish American joint venture initiatives, and service capabilities such as maintenance, repair and overhaul.
We are grateful for the US military presence in Poland, for the deployment of troops and the most advanced weapon systems, because it's a real contribution to strengthening our territory and our borders. This vital commitment provides Polish society with a strong sense of security and serves as an effective deterrent.
Mr. Secretary, I'm confident that we share the same value and the same goals. Together we want to leverage our partnership on the next level and continue strengthening our enduring economic and military ties. Based on common experience, we see the importance of further cooperation not only in the areas of security, but also in the fields of development, research and new technologies.
An example of which will be the participation of Polish astronaut Slawosz Uznanski in the American space mission. The great statesman Abraham Lincoln said the "dogmas of quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present." I'm confident that together with the United States of America, we can overcome every challenge and confront every threat. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Thank you, America.
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PETE HEGSETH: Mr. Secretary, very well said. Thank you.