US President Donald Trump confirmed that his country will keep its troops in Poland with readiness to increase their numbers, emphasizing that Washington will help Warsaw defend itself, during his meeting with Polish President Karol Nawrocki at the White House.

Trump stated that the United States will maintain a strong military presence in Poland and is open to increasing troop numbers if Warsaw desires. He added, “We stand with Poland with all our might, and we will help it protect itself.”

The remarks came during his meeting at the White House with the new Polish president Karol Nawrocki, in his first foreign visit since taking office last month.

Trump, who took the unusual step of publicly supporting Nawrocki in the recent elections, said US-Polish relations “have always been strong but are now better than ever.” He praised Nawrocki’s victory, saying he “won easily in a tough election race and has become more popular over time.”

Nawrocki thanked Trump for his support and sent a special greeting to the millions of Americans of Polish descent, affirming that the ties between the two countries are based on shared values such as independence and democracy.

Nawrocki praised the US military presence in Poland, saying it was “the first time in history” that Poland was happy to host foreign troops, and confirmed Warsaw’s intention to continue increasing its defense spending within NATO.

The meeting took place as Trump seeks to push Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to direct talks to end the war between Poland’s neighbors, but his efforts have yet to yield a breakthrough. Trump said in an interview a few days ago: “Maybe they have to fight longer, they keep fighting foolishly.”

There is growing concern in Europe about Trump’s long-term commitment to maintaining a large US force on the continent, with about 8,200 US troops currently in Poland, while some of his advisers call for shifting military resources to the Indo-Pacific region to counter China.

Upon arrival at the White House, Nawrocki was warmly welcomed and watched alongside Trump a US “F-16” fighter jet formation called the “Missing Man” salute honoring a Polish pilot killed in a crash in August. Nawrocki thanked Trump for this symbolic gesture.

Before the Polish elections, Trump linked Nawrocki’s victory to enhanced military cooperation, while then-US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem visited Poland confirming that electing conservatives would mean strong US support. Ultimately, Nawrocki narrowly defeated Warsaw’s liberal mayor Rafał Trzaskowski.

Despite pledging continued support for Ukraine, Nawrocki criticized President Zelensky and accused Ukrainian refugees of exploiting Polish generosity, promising to prioritize Polish citizens in social services.

Conversely, Nawrocki emphasized that Russian aggression proves Putin cannot be trusted, and that a strong US presence in Poland remains a key deterrent.

These messages come as Russia and Belarus prepare to conduct joint military exercises this month, raising concerns in Poland and the Baltic NATO members.