ADDS WHITE HOUSE STATEMENT
By Michael Hernandez
WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Joe Biden hosted Polish President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Donald Tusk at the White House on Tuesday for an official sit-down as the NATO allies seek to bolster the strength of the trans-Atlantic alliance.
Biden in brief remarks before reporters expressed strong US support for NATO's mutual defense article, known as Article 5, and was thanked by the Polish leaders for extending an invitation to jointly visit the White House as Warsaw marks 25 years since it became an ally.
Duda wrote in a Washington Post op-ed on Monday that NATO allies must increase their defense spending beyond the 2% of GDP internal commitment among allies because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"A return to the status quo ante is not possible. Russia’s imperialistic ambitions and aggressive revisionism are pushing Moscow toward a direct confrontation with NATO, with the West and, ultimately, with the whole free world," the Polish president wrote.
Duda said he would propose during his closed-door meeting with Biden that NATO allies commit to increase their defense spending to a minimum of 3% of their GDP.
"I intend to persuade our allies to do so, in both America and Europe. I am glad that, having already well-surpassed that minimum, the United States and Poland can lead by example and provide an inspiration for others," he added.
According to a statement by the White House, Biden, Duda and Tusk “committed to ensuring continued support of Ukraine’s self-defense against Russia’s war of aggression.”
The leaders also discussed the US-Polish energy security partnership and the “enduring importance of democratic values,” said the statement.
The US will move forward with a new $2 billion Foreign Military Financing (FMF) direct loan to Poland to “bolster its security and support its defense modernization using previously appropriated congressional funds,” Biden said during the meeting, according to the readout.
“The President also shared that the United States will offer to sell Poland 96 AH-64 Apache helicopters,” the White House said.
“This is a major step to provide Poland's armed forces with cutting-edge capability to defend itself, strengthen NATO interoperability, and further bolster the U.S. defense industry,” it added.
*Contributions by Rabia Iclal Turan