(ReliableNews.org) – In July 2020, Andrzej Duda won reelection as president of Poland after a close run-off race — 51% to 49% in the second round. While in office, he’s had to watch from a close distance as Russia invaded its neighbor — Ukraine. The war has put the NATO country on high alert. Recently, Duda traveled to the US to meet with former President Donald Trump in Manhattan. They discussed the war and some other issues facing the world today.
What Did They Talk About?
On April 17, the Polish president arrived at Trump Tower in New York to discuss “topics having to do with getting to world peace.” According to the presumptive GOP presidential nominee’s campaign, the pair talked about the war in Ukraine and Israel’s conflict in the Middle East — although the readout didn’t specify if they discussed Hamas or Iran.
Trump said he believes Duda is doing a “fantastic job,” adding he would like to meet with Poland’s leader again. The former president stated he considers Duda a “friend” with whom he has a “very good and personal relationship.” Trump said the pair “agree on so much” without providing too much detail.
President Duda has expressed his steadfast support of Ukraine, even urging Congress to send more aid to the country in order to stop Russia’s advance. While Trump hasn’t outwardly detailed his plans for Ukraine should he win the presidency in November, many of his supporters oppose sending help to the sovereign nation.
Many European leaders have expressed concern that if the former president gets back in the White House, support for Ukraine will end — empowering Russia to continue its advancement. It’s unclear if Duda shares those concerns.
Trump said during a campaign rally in South Carolina that he would let Russia “do whatever the [expletive] they want[ed]” in NATO countries if they “didn’t pay” their fair share. While Duda didn’t directly respond to the implication, he recently called on NATO members to spend more of their GDP on defense, given the “growing threats” in the region.
Other Visits
Duda isn’t the only world leader traveling to the United States to meet with the former president. In February, Trump met with Argentinian President Javier Milei, and the following month, he hosted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, raising eyebrows.
It’s unclear if the presumptive Republican nominee has any other such meetings planned in the coming months. For now, he’s mainly involved in his first criminal trial in Manhattan, which is expected to last up to two months.
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