Trump agrees deal to send 1,000 US troops to Poland for security

The United States will send 1,000 more troops to Poland as part of a growing security and economic partnership between the two countries, president Donald Trump said.

He and Polish president Andrzej Duda differed over Russia’s intentions toward the US ally.

At a time of ongoing worries about Russian military activity, Mr Duda said he wanted Russia to be a friend of Poland even as he recounted his country’s long history of conflict with Moscow.

“We would like Russia to be our friend, but unfortunately Russia again is showing its very unkind, unpleasant imperial face,” Mr Duda said, noting its attacks on Georgia in 2008 and Ukraine in 2014.

He spoke through a translator during a news conference with Mr Trump in the White House Rose Garden where they discussed details of the military deal.

Mr Trump, who has a history of appearing to defer to Russia, seemed to downplay Mr Duda’s concerns.

“I hope that Poland is going to have a great relationship with Russia,” Mr Trump said. “I think it’s possible, I really do.

“I think because of what you’ve done and the strength and maybe we help also, because of what we’re doing and doing for Poland.

“But I hope Poland is going to have a great relationship with Russia. I hope we’re going to have a great relationship with Russia and by the way, China and many other countries.”

Mr Trump said he likely would make his second visit to Poland as president in September – the 80th anniversary of the invasion by Nazi Germany in 1939 that set off the Second World War.

He said he was thinking about allowing Poland to participate in a State Department programme that allows its citizens to visit the US for tourism or business without obtaining a visa, but that more progress was needed before a final decision.

Polish leaders had hoped to land a permanent US base in their country they said could be called Fort Trump, but the agreement announced yesterday fell short of that. It includes just the addition of about 1,000 troops and a squadron of Reaper drones for intelligence purposes.

Mr Trump said the Polish government would pay for the infrastructure to support the troops. The service members will be added to an existing force of about 4,500 US troops that rotate in and out of Poland.

Mr Trump said he probably would shift some US service members from Germany where tens of thousands have been based for a “long, long time,” or from elsewhere in Europe.

He offered no timetable for when the additional military personnel would begin arriving in Poland.